Trusting God Who Can Heal Series

Does God will heal today?

This has been a debatable question down through the years among theologians and religious teachers. Some say “YES” and others say “NO”. But my follow-up question is simple, what guides our understanding of healing to lead us to believe that God is still healing today? Is it experience? Is it biblical study, personal or public? Is it trust in faith healers? What is it that guides our understanding of healing today and/or all other questions surrounding this topic?

Questions like:

- Is it God’s will to heal everyone?

- Is sickness, disabilities, and deformities a result of some un-confessed sin?

- Does a human possess the ability to heal?

- How does God choose to heal people?

- Why isn’t everybody healed?

- Is it a sign of a lack of faith to acknowledge sickness?

- What’s more important physical or spiritual healing?

- Is physical healing a temporary blessing or permanent blessing?

- If men (and women) possess the power to heal, why is the hospital filled with sick people and cemeteries full of dead people?

- How do you handle the death of someone who was not healed after you’ve prayed for their healing?

- Does God allow people to get sick because He’s mad at them for being disobedient?

Questions, questions, questions! I believe this text, Exodus 15 of God’s revelation to Israel as the Lord that heals you, begins to shape our understanding of healing. The longer Israel journeyed with God, the more He revealed to them His character and ways. What this means is that as believers, we cannot allow one experience to guide our faith and practice in any area of Christian living. Experience(s) of faith is not a good measuring stick in proving our faith. Ok, you received healing this time but what about the next time? Ok, you were brought back to life this time but what about the next time? Ok, you received an unexpected financial blessing in the mail this time, but what about next time? Ok, you were delivered out of a terrible situation this time, but what about next time?

Each day we walk with God, God reveals more and more of Himself to us to help us face tomorrow while living in faith today.

So, as we’ve been studying the names of God, God has revealed Himself to us in the following ways thus far:

In Genesis 1 as Elohim - Creator, He created all things for His glory including you and me.

In Genesis 14 as El Elyon- God Most High meaning God is in control. He is actively participating in our lives daily, good and bad.

In Genesis 15 we see God as Adonai – Master, Owner meaning God owns everything including you.

In Genesis 16 we see God as El Roi – God who sees what you’re going through.

In Genesis 17 we see God as El Shaddai – God Almighty and sufficient meaning our God is powerful to never run dry of resources.

In Genesis 22 we see God as Jehovah-Jireh – God will provide.

In Exodus 3, we see God as Jehovah, the Great I Am that I Am meaning He is anything and everything you will ever need Him to be in life.

God has shown us enough of Himself so that we may trust Him to handle all things, anytime, and anywhere. Therefore, God’s next revelation is as Jehovah-Raphe, the Lord who heals. This revelation of God should not be in question. God has created all things, knows all things, sees all things, and provides all things. Surely, He can heal all things.

The focus of this text is on God’s revelation as the Great Physician. And here’s the point of my sermon:

God Can Heal You!

God is the source of all healing and He chooses how divine healing takes place.

Let’s look into this text to see what truths we can learn about how God chooses to heal. This text provides four (4) principles to help guide our understanding of healing.

i. God heals by Revealing to Us the Reality of Life – v. 22-25

To fully understand God’s revelation in Exodus 15 we need to read chapters 13-14. In summary, Moses decrees that in remembrance of God sparring Israel’s firstborn, all firstborn persons and animals are to be considered his. The Israelites avoid the shorter but fortified route to Canaan along the Mediterranean coast and instead travel toward Sinai. God’s guides them by a cloudy-fiery pillar a visible sign of God’s presence and Moses is told that Pharaoh has sent a chariot army to recapture the children of Israel. The approach of the Egyptian army creates panic until God parts the Red Sea so they can cross. The pursuing Egyptian army pursues after them but when they get into the middle of the Sea God clothes the mouth of the water and the army drowns.