The Bible has accounts of several miraculous healings both in the Old and New Testament: Namaan, being healed of his leprosy, Hezekiah healed of his lump, Bartholomew healed of his blindness, a man at Bethesda healed of his paralysis and the list continues. Even today, we hear testimonies around the globe of people receiving miraculous healings in prayer meetings. No wonder because our God is the Jehovah Rapha. He is our healing. There is nothing that He cannot cure.
But wait, there is a catch! He can heal you only according to the measure of your faith.
2 Kings 4:29, 30
Then he said to Gehazi, “Get yourself ready, and take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, do not greet him; and if anyone greets you, do not answer him; but lay my staff on the face of the child.”
And the mother of the child said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So he arose and followed her. Now Gehazi went on ahead of them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing. Therefore he went back to meet him, and told him, saying, “The child has not awakened.”
Here is a woman, a mother of a dead child desperately seeking her child’s life back. She was well-acquainted with the prophet Elisha. In fact, she always prepared meal for Elisha whenever he passed by her area. She had also made a small upper room for him so that he could turn in there whenever he came. In accordance with Elisha’s prophecy, she was blessed with a son at the set time. Now all of a sudden, her son died. This woman trusted that God could bring her son back to life through the prophet Elisha. She went to meet him. Elisha sent his servant Gehazi with his staff and asked him to lay that staff on the face of the child.
Nothing happened! Why? Elisha instructed Gehazi expecting a miracle as the staff touches the child. But the child remained motionless. Gehazi came back with a message that the child had not awakened. Have you ever wondered what could be the reason?
Is it that the healing cannot happen through a staff? We have evidences from the Bible of people being healed through aprons and handkerchiefs of Peter.
Acts 19:12 - so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.
Bible records that the shadow of Peter healed the sick.
Acts 5:15 - so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them.
A woman was healed of her 12 years of sickness by just touching the border of Jesus’ garments
Luke 8:43, 44
Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.
Moreover, the dead bones of Elisha brought back a man to life.
2 Kings 13:21 - So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders; and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.
I believe it has got nothing to do with Elisha, Gehazi or the staff but the faith of the woman. See the reply of the woman when Elisha instructed Gehazi to take his staff and go.
2 Kings 4:30
And the mother of the child said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.”
The woman did believe in the healing of her son. She strongly believed that her son could be brought back to life. When her child died, she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God and shut the door upon him, and went out. She did not inform about his death even to her husband. (2 Kings 4: 20-22).
However, she was restricted in her faith as to how God would heal her son. She believed that her son could be healed only by the prophet Elisha. That was the reason why she asks the prophet to come with her when he advised Gehazi to take his staff and go. (2 Kings 4:30).
And her faith was rewarded. When Elisha came to the house and prayed for the child, he was miraculously healed. (2 Kings 4:32-35).
This teaches us an important lesson that we can limit the power of God through our lack of faith. The woman’s limitation to believe staff can work hindered the miracle. If she would have trusted that the staff was enough for God to heal, that would have been enough for her miracle to manifest.
Do you remember what happened during Jesus’ times? Even Jesus could not perform miracles and heal some people because of their disbelief.
Matthew 13:58 - Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Mark 6:5-6 - Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.
This is true in our lives as well. Many a time, we put limitations upon our situations, on the individuals God is using in our lives and on the instructions God gives us.
Our knowledge of diseases and medicine and lack of faith to believe that God can outdo the medical report of the doctors hinders our miracle. In the course of my ministry, I have seen poor and ignorant people easily receiving their miracles because of their child-like faith that God can heal no matter how severe the condition may be. On the other hand, wise and educated people limit their faith to the doctor’s report and their knowledge of the disease. To heal cancer is as simple to God as to heal a headache. However, we find it easier to trust God over the healing of a headache than cancer. Even if God wills to heal and bless us, it is not going to come forth when we put limitations on our faith. Let us pray to God to help our unbelief like the lad’s father (Mark 9:24).
Let us today believe what God is speaking over our lives, the promises and the prophesies He has given us and His miraculous power to deliver us from all bondages. Let us not limit the promises and power of God through the limitation that we place upon God’s word and God’s plans in our lives.
