Take one part Scripture. Add one part holy water. Stir gently or vigorously-you pick. And instantly, you're healed. If only it was that easy. Often, the healings recorded in Scripture appear to be instant. That's what I've wanted: for Jesus to do for me what He did for the centurion who told Him, "If You just send the word, my servant will be healed." (Matt. 8:5-13).
I've prayed many times the last couple of months, "Lord, just send Your word and the discs in my neck will be healed." Obviously, this wasn't His plan for me. So, I began to meditate on some of the healings in Scripture.
While each person's change from sickness to health occurred in the blink of an eye, many of these folks suffered quite a while before meeting Jesus. Take the woman with the issue of blood who suffered for 12 years and had spent all she had on doctors in a vain effort to get well (Mark 5:25-34). Or the paralytic man who lay for 38 years at the pool of Bethesda wishing someone would help him (John 5:1-18). Then there's the man who was born blind about whom the disciples asked, "Who sinned-this man or his parents?" (John 9:1-12).
So, while the transformation to wholeness happens in a nanosecond, suffering may last a lifetime. Some Christians will tell you suffering is your fault; that either you have a secret sin or too little faith to be healed. That's a painful lie that only adds more pain and undue guilt. God's manifestation of healing is complicated and mysterious and while it may not unfold according to our plans, it is just as real as it was when Jesus walked on the earth. You can trust in the promise of Isaiah 53:5: "But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed."
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