The following column is an opinion piece and reflects the views of only the author and not those of The Georgia Virtue.
By: Dr. William F. Holland Jr., minister, chaplain, and author of the column series ‘Living on Purpose’. You can read more about the Christian life and see other works by Dr. Holland at billyhollandministries.com.
Can God heal us? Of course! We do not need to speculate or wonder about His ability to provide miracles and bring restoration even in the most difficult situations. Jeremiah 17:14 says, “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed. Save me, and I shall be saved: for Thou art my praise.” Whatever the case, we can believe and know without a doubt that our heavenly Father desires to help us in our time of need whatever it might be, and yet, we look around and notice that many have not received their answer.
When we begin to investigate the truth about healing and miracles, it does not take long to discover this is a complicated subject that includes conditions that must be taken into consideration. I realize that some people do not believe in the blood covenant of Christ or the gifts of the Spirit found in I Corinthians chapter 12 or that Jesus is still providing miracles today, but what are we to do with verses like Mark 16:17-18, and James 5:14-15 just to name a few? Old and New Testament scriptures such as these are relevant today the same as every command and promise of God.
God’s word is a light unto our path and a lamp unto our feet. Jesus wants us to follow Him without stress and anxiety and to trust that He is in control. Our existence is not an accident or the result of a random chance but rather a deliberate act of intensive planning and divine order by the one who created us. God has known you before the foundation of the world and considers you one of His priceless possessions. He is not going to design us in His image and then abandon us. Philippians 1:6 declares, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
Yes, we do have responsibilities and there are certain conditions, but as we listen, trust, and obey, He will reveal to us His perfect will. To the children of Israel, it was the mighty Egyptians who were holding them in bondage, to David it was an intimidating giant that was trying to destroy him, and with us, it might be a negative test result that has paralyzed us with fear. Like all who have stood in faith against seemingly impossible situations, we can also choose to shout from the housetops, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31.
The purpose and meaning of life is knowing and loving God. Our journey is an opportunity to experience an exciting adventure with the Holy Spirit as our guide. The key to being filled with His contentment is to hold tightly to His hand, and when our path becomes steep and treacherous, we must be willing to believe that God is who He says He is, and to know without a shadow of a doubt that He will help us and keep us safe as we continue climbing higher with Him. When you come to a resting place, breathe deeply, embrace the moment, and be refreshed in the glory and beauty of His presence. If we desire to know God personally, we must spend time with Him. How can we love someone we do not know? We must know Him before we can trust Him.
May we accept the invitation to respond to His voice, to love Him with all of our heart, mind, and strength. Let us honor Him, and in faith, we will press forward in His name one step at a time. There is much that we do not comprehend, but we do know He promised to heal His people. If not in this life, we will be healed with a brand-new body in the resurrection and will continue to live in perfect health with Him forever. May we receive encouragement from the words of this beautiful hymn, “God moves in a mysterious way” written by William Cowper in 1773. “God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He plants his footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm. Blind unbelief is sure to err, and scan his work in vain: God is His own interpreter, and he will make it plain.”
