God Still Heals

Jesus Never Said No

Time and time again, I went to church services hoping that would be the moment in which God would heal me. Many days, I reminded God that He never said no when someone asked for healing. I reminded Him He died on the cross for our healing, and yet, for six years, I fought the battle of Lyme Disease.

The worst moments in those six years were when I watched others get healed right in front of me, yet nothing changed in my body. I felt forgotten by God. I could not wrap my head around any of it. There are no words for the despair I felt. When I see others facing similar situations, I want to hug them and encourage them to hang on.

Joy In The Wilderness

Let me share with you portions of chapter 35 from Isaiah. I know most of us tune out if we are to read too much, but I want you to hang in here with me and read this. Let me set the stage for you. Isaiah has prophesied for thirty plus chapters about all that will happen to Israel if they do not turn back to God. They are told they will go into exile, but yet, they continue on their dangerous path. This is Isaiah giving them hope to hold on to while in exile. Promising them of better days ahead.

“Imagine the wilderness whooping for joy, the desert’s unbridled happiness with its spring flowers. 2 It will happen! The deserts will come alive with new growth budding and blooming, singing and celebrating with sheer delight. The glory of Lebanon’s cedars and the majesty of Carmel and Sharon will spill over to the deserts. The glory of the Eternal One will be on full display there, and they will revel in the majestic splendor of our God…
5 Then, such healing, such repair: the eyes of the blind will be opened; the ears of the deaf will be clear. 6-7 The lame will leap like deer excited; they will run and jump tirelessly and gracefully. The stutterer, the stammerer, and the tongue of the mute will sing out loud and clear in joyful song. Waters will pour through the deserts; streams will flow in godforsaken lands. Burning sands and hardened wastelands will become pools, shimmering with life; the thirsty ground will drink deep from refreshing springs. Abandoned villages where predators once lurked will become grassy playgrounds. Dry, arid land will turn lush and green.”
Isaiah 35:1-2 and 5-7, The Voice

A Picture Of Hope

What a beautiful picture Isaiah paints for them and for us. This is another prophecy that is for them at the time and for us with Jesus. When Jesus came until now, we have the promise of joy in troubled times. Not because what we are going through is fabulous, but because of what lies ahead.

Six years into the exhausting fight of Lyme Disease, God showed up. What I forget to tell people when I share my story is the night that God moved was the night I felt little hope. I thought, why are they praying again? They were wasting their time. I knew in my heart God could heal, but in that moment, all I felt was despair.

The Body Of Christ

That’s what is so amazing about the body of Christ. We are not meant to walk this road alone. When I felt at my lowest, God surrounded me with people that believed for me. Where my hope lacked, they made up for it. Many of you who follow my blogs also are in a fight of your own. You face obstacles that feel beyond what God can fix.

Take heart! Go back to this scripture with me and imagine a time where in the wilderness you will shout for joy. The page you turn from the last verse in Malichi to the first page of Matthew is a period of 400 years. It is a time when God did not speak.

But God…

When you turn the page, God does not just speak, He shows up in person. Jesus came and fulfilled everything Isaiah prophesied. The blind saw, the deaf heard, the lame walked, and so much more.

If you feel you are in that 400 years of silence, hold on the page is turning. Jesus still wants to move in your life today. He still is in the business of miracles. Keep praying. Keep seeking. Keep holding on any shred of hope you can find because you never know the moment He will show up in power and change your world forever.