Healing

“…If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”  ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭15:26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you.” Exodus‬ ‭23:25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you. Deuteronomy‬ ‭7:15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.  ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭6:2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Lord my God, I called to You for help, and You healed me.  ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭30:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.  ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103:2-5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions. ‭‭ Psalms‬ ‭107:20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.  ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.  ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭147:3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.  ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3:7-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. Proverbs‬ ‭16:24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy]. [Matthew 8:17.] But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.  ‭Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭4-5‬ AMP

“I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him, And restore comforts to him And to his mourners.”  ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭57:18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For You are my praise. Jeremiah‬ ‭17:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“For I will restore health to you And heal you of your wounds,” says the Lord,  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭30:17‬a ‭NKJV‬‬

“Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth.”  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭33:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.”  ‭‭Malachi‬ ‭4:2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

When evening came, they brought to him many possessed with demons.  He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He took our infirmities, and bore our diseases.”  Matthew 8:16-17 WEB  

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. Matthew‬ ‭9:35‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10:1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10:8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”  ‭‭Mark‬ ‭5:34‬ ‭NKJV‬

And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” Luke‬ ‭8:48‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.”  ‭‭Luke‬ ‭8:50‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. ‭‭Luke‬ ‭9:11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.  ‭‭Acts‬ ‭4:29-30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. James‬ ‭5:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.  I Peter‬ ‭2:24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. III John‬ ‭1:2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.  ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21:4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

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Devotionals

The God Who Hears and Heals:  O LORD my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me.  Psalms 30:2 NKJV.  Commentary by David Jeremiah. We are used to associating the biblical word “healing” with cures for physical conditions. But in Psalm 30, David declares praise to the Lord for three different reasons: deliverance from his enemies, healing from an unspecified situation, and being spared from divine judgment and the grave (Psalm 30:1-3). In other words, regardless of the kind of trouble David was in–attacks by others, physical problems, or divine discipline–he trusted that God would hear and heal him.  That seems almost contradictory given the troubles David experienced. How could he have ultimate confidence in God yet continue to live a life filled with challenges? It seems to be his awareness of a bigger picture–something larger than the immediate crisis he faced. His confidence was not only in God’s ability to solve an immediate problem, but in God’s sovereign providence and protection over his entire life.  Our lives are like David’s–filled with challenges of all sorts. And our faith should be like David’s as well: No problem escapes the attention of the God who heals and delivers us now and for eternity.  

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.  ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬.  Our Daily Bread, commentary by Joe Stowell. A few years ago, I had a rather serious skiing accident and severely tore the muscles in one of my legs. In fact, my doctor told me that the tear caused excessive bleeding. The healing process was slow, but during that time of waiting I found myself in awe of our great Creator (see Colossians 1:16).  I’ve wrinkled a few car fenders in my lifetime and dropped more than one dish. They’ve always stayed broken. Not so with my leg. As soon as the tearing of my muscles occurred, the internal healing mechanisms that Christ created in my body went to work. Invisibly, down deep in my throbbing leg, the medics of His marvelous design were mending the tear. Before long, I was up and running again with a whole new sense of what the psalmist meant when he said that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” and my heart was filled with praise (Psalms 139:14). Sometimes it takes something like an injury or a sickness to remind us of the masterful design that we carry around in our bodies. So the next time you face an unwanted interruption—no matter its cause—focus your attention on Jesus’ wonderful love and let Him lift your heart to grateful worship in the midst of the pain!

Prayer: Lord, help us to see beyond the moments of our lives and to delve deeply into Your marvelous handiwork and perfect design. Forgive us for our short-sightedness and teach us to see You in every circumstance.

Worship of the masterful Creator begins with a grateful heart. 

“Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed.”—Jeremiah 17:14 “I have seen his ways, and will heal him.” —Isaiah 57:18. Morning and Evening, commentary by Charles Spurgeon. It is the sole prerogative of God to remove spiritual disease. Natural disease may be instrumentally healed by men, but even then the honour is to be given to God who giveth virtue unto medicine, and bestoweth power unto the human frame to cast off disease. As for spiritual sicknesses, these remain with the great Physician alone; he claims it as his prerogative, “I kill and I make alive, I wound and I heal;” and one of the Lord’s choice titles is Jehovah-Rophi, the Lord that healeth thee. “I will heal thee of thy wounds,” is a promise which could not come from the lip of man, but only from the mouth of the eternal God. On this account the psalmist cried unto the Lord, “O Lord, heal me, for my bones are sore vexed,” and again, “Heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee.” For this, also, the godly praise the name of the Lord, saying, “He healeth all our diseases.” He who made man can restore man; he who was at first the creator of our nature can new create it. What a transcendent comfort it is that in the person of Jesus “dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily!” My soul, whatever thy disease may be, this great Physician can heal thee. If he be God, there can be no limit to his power. Come then with the blind eye of darkened understanding, come with the limping foot of wasted energy, come with the maimed hand of weak faith, the fever of an angry temper, or the ague of shivering despondency, come just as thou art, for he who is God can certainly restore thee of thy plague. None shall restrain the healing virtue which proceeds from Jesus our Lord. Legions of devils have been made to own the power of the beloved Physician, and never once has he been baffled. All his patients have been cured in the past and shall be in the future, and thou shalt be one among them, my friend, if thou wilt but rest thyself in him this night.  

Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.” Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭8:22-25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬.  Commentary by Mike MacIntosh. Who would ever think to spit on a man’s eyes to heal him? Just as we saw in Mark 7:32, Jesus uses ordinary things to make supernatural things happen.  Notice that after Jesus spits on the blind man’s eyes and puts His hands on him, Jesus asks a telling question: “Do you see anything?” And God is asking you right now, wherever you are and whatever you are experiencing, if you are seeing clearly. He doesn’t want you to have blurred vision. He is calling out to you, asking what you see. Are you seeing all the junk and materialism that causes you to falter and stumble in your faith? Are you seeing all the trash and pornography that is on nearly every magazine, billboard, DVD, and television show? What do you see and what should you be seeing? Colossians 3:1 says to seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.  This man’s vision was blurred, even after Jesus touched his eyes, and all he could see was a shadow of unclear images. And maybe that’s where you are today. Maybe your life has lost its purpose because of family or financial stresses. Maybe you got tired of “church” because someone offended you and you walked away for a while. But Jesus didn’t give up on the blind man — and He doesn’t give up on you! Look at verse 25 above.  Jesus once again put His hands on this man and his sight was fully restored. He touched the man’s eyes a second time. Maybe today you need a second touch from the Master. Maybe you’ve failed in the past and your vision is blurred. Thankfully Jesus never gives up on you. Not only is He right there asking if you can see, He also is ready to heal your wounds and make you whole.  Maybe you had a clear vision but something got in the way. The Lord is asking you right now if you would like His tender touch — maybe for the second (or third or fourth) time. If so, just pray right where you are and simply ask Him to heal you and to shoulder whatever burden is weighing you down. He loves you so much and wants to bless you abundantly.  

Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.  John 11:3 NKJV. Commentary by David Jeremiah. A disease is a condition causing pain, dysfunction, distress, or death to the one afflicted. Most diseases affect the personality in some way, and they can also drain us financially. Some are exotically rare and have names like Lymphangioleiomyomatosis; others are as common as arthritis. Perhaps you’re alarmed at twinges in your chest, aches in your bones, a persistent cough, or a speck of blood where it shouldn’t be. Or maybe you’re past those initial symptoms. You’ve been diagnosed. You are battling disease right now. The Lord may or may not heal us of all our diseases on earth, but ultimate healing and eternal health is included in what Jesus did for us on the cross. He suffered excruciating pain to give us resurrection bodies free from illness, aging, or debilitating disease. Matthew 8:17 says, “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.” Isaiah 53:5 says, “By His stripes we are healed.” Illness makes us all uncomfortable, but it can turn our thoughts to Him who loves us even when we’re sick.  

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.  James 5:14 NKJV. Commentary by David Jeremiah. God is the God of the natural and the supernatural. When the Israelites needed water in the Sinai desert, they came to a pool of bitter water. God told Moses to throw a piece of wood into the pool, and the water turned sweet. God used that as a lesson. If the Israelites would obey all His statutes, He would keep them well: “For I am the LORD who heals you” (Exodus 15:22-26). A natural piece of wood and a supernatural “healing” of the water, the keeping of natural laws and the supernatural health of a nation — this natural and supernatural blend appears in the classic New Testament text on healing as well (James 5:13-18). James exhorts any who are ill to call for elders of the church, who will anoint the sick person “in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up” (verses 14-15). Natural oil and supernatural healing — it is not oil and prayer that heal; it is the supernatural “Lord who heals.” Use the natural as you trust in the supernatural power of Jehovah Rophe (Rapha) — “the Lord who heals you.”  

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Peter 2:24 KJV. Commentary by Barry Adams. Promise: Jesus bore your sins on the cross so you would be healed.  God’s heart for you and I is complete wholeness. Healing of the spirit, the soul and the body. Thank God for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who took upon Himself all of our sin so that we could receive all the tangible benefits of the New Covenant. Jesus paid the price so we wouldn’t have to. Our healing was secured with each stripe of flesh that was torn from His back by the Roman guard.  While we know that our healing will be complete when we see Him face to face, may each one of us appropriate His sacrifice on this side of heaven for whatever we need to be healed from today… body, soul and spirit.  Thank you Jesus for taking upon yourself the punishment of my sin and for making the way through your bruised body for me to experience complete wholeness in my life. I pray that I will have faith today to believe that by Your stripes, I am healed! By His wounds you have been healed.  -1 Peter 2:24b, NLT.  

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.  ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21:4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬. Our Daily Bread, Commentary by Bill Crowder. Just 4 weeks after our son Mark joined the US Army, he injured his knee seriously in a training exercise. As a result, he was released from the military. So, at age 19, he had to use a cane to get around for a while; and because of the severity of the injury he endured 2 years of recovery, rest, and rehab. Finally, Mark was able to set aside the knee braces he had worn since the accident. Although he still experiences residual pain, the long, slow healing process has brought him back to full use of his leg. Physical healing is often much slower than we anticipate. This is true of spiritual healing as well. The consequences of unwise choices or the actions of hurtful people can create burdens or wounds that endure for a lifetime. But for the child of God, there is hope. Although full restoration is not always experienced in this life, the promise of healing is sure. The apostle John wrote, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). In our seasons of pain, it is comforting to know that eventually, in His awesome presence, we will be whole forever. Prayer: Father, I thank You that in all of our pains and struggles we can find comfort in You. Help us to bring all our hurts to You—both spiritual and physical—and to trust that You will make us whole. When we come to Christ in our brokenness, He makes us whole.

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Quotes

“Christ is the Good Physician. There is no disease He cannot heal; no sin He cannot remove; no trouble He cannot help. He is the Balm of Gilead, the Great Physician who has never yet failed to heal all the spiritual maladies of every soul that has come unto Him in faith and prayer.”  James H. Aughey

“Health is not valued till sickness comes.”  – Thomas Fuller

“Sometimes Christ sees that we need the sickness for the good of our souls more than the healing for the ease of our bodies.”  – Matthew Henry

“We often need physical therapy, but God is the great spiritual Therapist who can keep us strong of heart even when we’re weak of body.”  – David Jeremiah

“Sometimes a family pet may stop eating and spend an unusual amount of time sleeping or resting. Our tendency is to make them better with remedies. But animals seem to know instinctively that the first thing, often the best thing, to do is to rest and wait for healing to come naturally.

I’m not suggesting that we shouldn’t take our pet to the vet — rather, that we might imitate them when we are feeling out of sorts. Instead of trying to ‘fix’ our problem with activity, perhaps we need to rest — to grow quiet enough to hear God’s still, small voice speaking to our heart.  Find restoration on the road to new life.”  – David Jeremiah 

“Healing comes from faith. Call things that are not as though they are.  With the power of our words we can speak things into existence in God’s timing. The power of life and death is in the tongue.”  – Kevin Mallery

“Jesus never healed anyone part way.”  – Kevin Mallery

“There is an old saying that ‘time heals all wounds’, but unfortunately it is not true.  There are some problems and some wounds that are just too great, but thankfully Jesus heals all wounds.”  – Kevin Mallery

“Affliction brings out graces that cannot be seen in a time of health. It is the treading of the grapes that brings out the sweet juices of the vine; so it is affliction that draws forth submission, weanedness from the world, and complete rest in God. Use afflictions while you have them.”  – Robert Murray M’Cheyne

“How sweet the name of Jesus sounds, in a believer’s ear! It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, and drives away his fear.”  – John Newton

“Assurance after all is no more than a full-grown faith; a masculine faith that grasps Christ’s promise with both hands – a faith that argues like the good centurion, ‘if the Lord speak the word only, I am healed. Wherefore then should I doubt?’ (Matthew 8:8).”  – J. C. Ryle

“Begin to rejoice in the Lord, and your bones will flourish like an herb, and your cheeks will glow with the bloom of health and freshness. Worry, fear, distrust, care-all are poisonous! Joy is balm and healing, and if you will but rejoice, God will give power.”  – A. B. Simpson

“This blessed Book brings such life and health and peace, and such an abundance that we should never be poor any more.”  – Smith Wigglesworth

“The high heaven covereth as well tall mountains as small mole hills, and mercy can cover all. The more desperate thy disease, the greater is the glory of thy physician, who hath perfectly cured thee.”  – Abraham Wright (1611-1690)

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