And it's to remind us that He is our Jehovah Rapha, The God Who Heals.
I have seen amazing, miraculous healings in my lifetime. Even experienced some in my personal family. And in those moments it's so easy to remember He is our Jehovah Rapha. But for the past year and few months we've been praying for a physical healing and have yet to see it manifest. We are doing the crying, but we've yet to see the healing.
So the question starts to bounce around in our minds, "Is He really Jehovah Rapha?"
And the only answer we can give to that question is "yes."
God is who he says he is in the good and in the bad. He is who he says he is even when the days stretch on longer than we'd ever thought we'd have to wait, and when the answers aren't what we want to hear. He is still Lord. He is still Jehovah Rapha. He is still working all things for the good of those who love him.
And in that there's healing. Healing of our raw emotions. Healing in the security of his unchanging character. Healing of our hearts as we rest in him. Because he's not just our physical healer, but with such an amazing tenderness in his hands, he also heals those wounds that cannot be seen. He has yet to leave us or forsake us, rather he walks through it all beside us.
So cry out to him, because he truly is Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals.
I'm right there with you. For some time, I've been praying this prayer for healing from the book, Prayers That Avail Much. It's a lot of declaration, praying the Word, praying in faith. And the other day, as I sat down and started to read it out loud AGAIN, I couldn't get the words out. I stopped on the confession, "I am healed," because I didn't feel healed. I felt abandoned. Questions and doubts churned. Tears blurred. Hope sputtered. And in that place of brokenness, my understanding of faith was stretched once again, teaching me to sing to my heart even when I can't hear the song.
ReplyDeleteThere's such beauty in your honesty, Crystal. And oh yes, He stretches us, but always with his tender hands still on us. Praying for you today:)
DeleteLove your focus on healing...but when I started reading this verse, I couldn't help stopping at the "cried to you for help" part. I've been a little tense inside this week, knowing I've got a huge deadline, not much time at all in the next couple weeks and I am honestly exhausted to the point of feeling sick. Which I realize sounds ridiculous compared to others' very serious health concerns. But that verse and your post was SUCH a reminder to me that the very first thing I should do every day, and the thing I need to keep doing throughout the day, is asking God for help.
ReplyDeleteLove how God takes the words we put down and whispers them to people in the way THEY need to hear them. He is such a personal God:) That's so cool:) Happy day, Melissa!
DeleteAmen! Praying.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jess:)
DeleteWhile walking the dog tonight, Tim and I were talking about how God has pulled up through some devastating times. He didn't fix the situations, but He walked through the valleys with us.
ReplyDeleteGod is good!
:) He's always in those valleys, isn't he? :)
DeleteI do so love this verse ... and I think of the myriads of ways God has answered my cry in the past. He has healed me from the consequences of sin -- mine and others -- he has healed me from physical illness and emotional pain ... and yes, sometimes the healing has not happened in ways I imagined or even wanted. It has happened through heartbreak. Through loss. The one thing that has remained constant: God is who he says he is.
ReplyDelete"God is who he says he is"...amen, Beth. So thankful he remains constant in that.
Delete"God is who he says he is"...amen, Beth. So thankful he remains constant in that.
Delete