Pastor,
Thank you for the great work you have been doing in both my life and the life of a million other people. My question is, if one is diagnosed of an ailment, say diabetes, cancer or HIV, and the physcian says that the person needs to stay on treatment, as a child of faith, how does the person go about it? Do you stick to the drugs and keep praying and exercising your faith on the sickness? Or do you refuse to acknowledge the sickness and stay off the drugs completely knowing by faith you are healed? Thanks!
~ Peter
ANSWER
Dear Peter,
Nothing is too hard for God (Genesis 18:14). He can heal anyone of anything at anytime. So, the question becomes, “Is this physical healing God’s will?” And then, if it is God’s will, “Is this the way He wants to bring healing?”
As to the first question, Jesus did not physically heal everyone in His day. He could have, but He did not. Even today, some people are healed and others are not. God is sovereign.
As to the second question, the Lord heals people in different ways. When Jesus healed blind eyes, sometimes He did it with spittle and mud (John 9:6-7). Othertimes He touched a person’s eyes (Matthew 9:29-30). And then Bartimaeus was healed of his blindness just by a word from Jesus (Mark 10:46-52).
Sometimes the Lord uses physicians to treat and cure disease and injuries with medical procedures and medication. Sometimes the Lord heals a person with no medical intervention.
The walk of faith is just exactly that, a walk of faith. A person has to go forward with what he believes God would have him to do.
I know a person who died of cancer. She was a mature Christian whose faith in Jesus was strong and secure. She told me that the Lord was going to heal her. He did not, as far as this world is concerned. However, as far as eternity is concerned, the Lord did heal her for He took her to be with Him which is the ultimate blessing and healing.
I know others who have been miraculously healed in this life, surprising the physicians, and bringing glory to God.
Pray. Seek the face of God. Act for His glory and not your own. Then do what you understand He wants you to do. After you have done that with a sincere heart, accept God’s decision to heal or not to heal you, and continue to live for Him (John 9:3).
Pastor Chris