The Lord Who Heals

I have been writing about some of the Hebrew names for God. Each name reveals a facet of God’s character and of how God interacts with people. It’s not possible for mere people to understand the myriad nuances of God’s character! But we can understand aspects of His character because He’s shown certain details about Himself. He revealed to humans only what they could understand. As Israel escaped Egypt and traveled through the wilderness, they couldn’t find a source of drinking water. When they finally found a water source, the water was undrinkable because of its bitterness. God told Moses to throw a log in the water and God would cleanse the water. Moses obeyed, and the people had water to quench their thirst. It was at the water hole that God gave the people a rule for them to follow. God gave them the command to “test their faithfulness to Him.” “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the LORD who heals you.” Exodus 15:26 (NLT) God revealed Himself as “Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord who heals you.” In this context, God’s promise was to prevent the diseases the Egyptians had suffered if they (the Israelites) listened carefully to the voice of the Lord and obeyed. The Bible recounts various ways Jehovah-Rapha has healed people of sickness and disease (Psalm 41:3), mental affliction (Jonah 2:5-7), spiritual fatigue (Psalm 23:3), emotional suffering (Psalm 147:3) and anxiety or worry (John 14:27) A highlight of Jesus’ ministry was the healings and even bringing the dead back to life. The religious establishment was against Him because He was a “healer.” The mystery, of course, is why God heals who He heals and when He heals. I’d sure like to understand God’s thinking and actions. In the meantime, I will claim healing for myself, my loved ones, and the ones I lead. I will continue to “ask and keep on asking.” I will encourage anyone who is sick to have the church pray for them. Healing is in the hands of Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord who heals. Do you need healing? Turn to Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord who heals.