It’s no secret that I believe in divine healing. God has proven time and again that He still performs miracles and heals in various ways. This post may seem controversial because I have decided to share personal opinions along with my own experiences to talk about how God can heal us in different ways. Please understand that these are my own opinions after reading, prayer, and much consideration of what I’ve seen and experienced. If you feel differently, I understand. This post is in no way meant to criticize anyone, especially those in the medical community who fight for our lives and safety every day.
This past week, my husband and I tested positive for Covid. The week before, my grandmother tested positive, and we are blessed that she received treatment that helped her recover. I am so grateful for the medical professionals that are doing all they can to help those affected by this ongoing illness. But I was also struck by something one of the doctors remarked. He first made a comment that coronavirus has existed for years in the form of colds and other respiratory illnesses. That remark gave me more respect for him, because I have been believing and saying this for some time. But the remark that has stuck with me the most is that this variant may be God’s way of settling the political debate of vaccinations once and for all and making sure everyone has antibodies. You see, my grandmother, husband, and I have all been vaccinated. We all got sick. Our immune system, along with medicinal treatment, helped us get through the virus and come to the other side of it. We are blessed.
I was reluctant to be vaccinated. After all, so little is known about side effects of vaccines that were distributed for emergency use. I mean, people used Johnson and Johnson powder for decades before it was linked to ovarian cancer in women. It is so easy to be skeptical and fearful about new vaccines and treatments, especially with knowledge at our fingertips and things changing every day regarding guidelines.
I feel like so much of the Covid response has been a knee jerk reaction. Don’t get me wrong. I know people have died. I understand that, early on, doctors had to literally learn on their feet how to respond to the virus with people pouring into emergency rooms across the country. Vaccines came out, side effects resulted, they were recalled, and then they were pushed back into the populace. Thankfully, treatment options became available. I encourage you to ask about treatment options and understand that, just like cancer, early treatment saves lives. But, if I’m being honest, my decision to vaccinate was a knee jerk reaction, too. I witnessed a woman close to my age suffering from the delta variant and the lingering effect it had on her. More than that, I saw how upset her kids were. That is why I vaccinated. Not for me. The day of my first dose, I cried after I received the shot, hoping that I had made the right decision. But I knew it was a decision that I made for my husband and children. Looking back on it now, it seems silly that I was so fearful. If my trust and hope really is in God, my healer, then I shouldn’t be afraid.
“He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.” (Psalms 103:3 NLT)
Time and again, scripture shows us that God cares about our health and well-being. When the Israelites were wandering the desert, they rebelled. Venomous snakes showed up and many of them died. Here’s the thing though: God always provides a way of escape. Moses was charged with forging a bronze serpent on a pole, and all who looked upon it were miraculously healed. This was a shadow of our ultimate way of escape from the sickness of sin: Jesus. He would be raised up on a cross for the world to look on and believe in Him.
“He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.” (1 Peter 2:24 NLT)
Jesus is still healing us. Sometimes, people are healed through divine intervention. I have personally experienced this during my teen years with a chronic wound. I believe God has given wisdom and knowledge to medical professionals to help guide our treatment when necessary, and I’m thankful for their knowledge and expertise. We personally benefited from medical guidance during our sickness with Covid. Our ultimate healing as believers comes when we enter Heaven. This one isn’t always easy. God sees the big picture, and He recognizes when it’s time to take someone home. We aren’t always ready to let them go here in earth, but I believe once they get a glimpse of Jesus, they run into His arms without looking back.
So much of the great Covid debate has turned into what feels like the Salem witch trials. People feel differently about things, and if someone believes differently than you, they are wrong and should be ostracized. This, my friend, is a knee jerk reaction as a result of fear. And scripture has an antidote for this:
“Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear.” (1 John 4:18 NLT)
If we are who God has called us to be, then we should love one another just as Christ loves us. And when we love others like Jesus does, there is no room for fear. We know Christ’s love because He showed us when He took our beating and hung on the cross for our sins. This beating is why we have confidence that we are healed. However He chooses, we, as believers, have this hope and promise. His wounds mean that we are whole.
Prayer for the Sick:
God today I turn to you as the Ultimate Physician. Thank you for creating my body, and I call it into submission to function as You created it. I pray that as I seek medical guidance, Your wisdom will pour out onto those caring for me. I submit to Your healing, God, in whatever form it takes, and I trust You with all the days of my life. Thank you, Jesus, for the lashing you took to ensure my healing, and I receive your healing power now. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
© Jill Cook and Unbroken & Undone Ministries. All rights reserved.
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