1 Samuel 1:1-2:21 / John 5:1-23 / Psalm 105:37-45 / Proverbs 14:28-29
He will protect his faithful ones, but the wicked will disappear in darkness. No one will succeed by strength alone. 1 Samuel 2:9
This verse, considered alongside the story of the sick man who laid by the pool at Bethesda for thirty-eight years, reminds me from where our strength and healing comes. When we’re sick, we have so many options these days – options that the people in Jesus’ time did not have. We can go to doctors, natural remedies, etc. Yes, there were those who practiced healing arts in Jesus’ day, but they were less advanced in the medical profession than what we have available now.
However, we must not rely on these things either alone or as a priority. How many of us pray, asking God for healing before we consider alternatives? I’ll admit I don’t always remember to pray first. You notice I said, “pray first”. That’s because there is nothing wrong with seeking out help. After all, it is God that has given us the knowledge and wisdom we have today to treat illness.
It is important to remember who gave us everything we have and to both ask for His help and thank Him. There have been times He’s instructed me to thank Him for something even before I’ve seen the physical answer to my prayer.
One of those instances happened recently. My daughter Abigail put her house on the market recently, needing to move after Bradley passed away. It took longer than expected for her house to sell so she was free to buy another house. As I prayed for her in January, God told me to thank Him because He was going to take care of her every need.
As of May 14th, Abigail will close on both her old and her new home. God has answered just as He said He would! He has provided! Keep in mind that He does not always answer in the manner or timing we expect, but He hears our prayers and is at work behind the scenes bringing about what we need. He loves us so much!
I can’t imagine waiting thirty-eight years for healing as the man by the pool did. But I can imagine how excited he was to receive healing! I don’t know why the healing was delayed, but I’m confident God received the thanks and praise for what was done.
Not only does God want to heal us, He also wants to hear our thanks and praise. When you receive a gift, don’t you say, “Thank you?” Of course, you do! I believe there are times we receive gifts and answers from God that we’re unaware of. Maybe it would be a good idea to thank God daily for all He’s blessed us with.
I encourage you to thank Him today for all He’s done for you and for who He is in your life. Where would we be without Him? I don’t even want to imagine the answer to that…
