“When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,” (John 9:6)
“For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.” (Matt. 9:21)
“The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.” (Matt. 8:8)
These were for those who lived when our Savior walked on this planet in the flesh, this verse is for us.
“Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
I see in a sense here three levels of faith, three different degrees of belief, those who needed to have Him touch them to be healed, those that needed to handle even just a small part of His clothing, and those, who while they needed neither of those, still needed to hear Him say the words of healing.
The just live by faith my friends, and I mean this in no disrespectful way, but in these days of grace, all we have is faith.
When we are suffering, no matter in what form that suffering appears, we have prayer, and the promises of His Word, but the Lord is not somewhere downtown where you can go to ask Him to touch you, He is not walking down the street somewhere where we can place ourselves in the hope of touching His garment, He is not physically present on this planet so that we can go to Him and make our request for the pain to be removed.
We are not going to hear His voice audibly with our ears say, “Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole.” (Mark 10:52)
Those who served the Living God for centuries saw His miracles, heard His voice from the mountain top, witnessed His mighty hand with their own eyes. Thousands followed the Lord Jesus Christ just to hear His words, thousands were healed by Him, both of body and soul, but now, relative to those days, we hear silence.
They saw and believed, we are to read and hear to believe.
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)
Many have traded fervent prayers for the advice of the psychiatrist and psychologist, many have decided that the medical practitioners and the pharmaceutical companies are a better answer than waiting on the Lord.
Many seek the world for relief instead of His face.
Again, with no disrespect intended, we are expected to endure with patience while retaining our faith, for that healing may not come.
We are to pray, in faith, yet be willing to accept whatever He allows to enter into our lives.
We are to ask Him to remove the thorn in our side, but accept, in faith His will if He does not.
The Great Physician is seated at the right hand of the Father, in faith we believe this, He hears every request that we bring before Him, in faith we know this to be a truth, but you will not hear His voice from heaven, you can go nowhere on this planet to meet Him, and He is not going to come to your house and knock on the door.
But He knocks on the door of your heart and asks you to believe, to have faith, and to continue in it.
“If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:14)
Here is the question for you then, if in unwavering faith you pray to be healed of whatever infirmity assails you at the moment, and you are not healed, will your faith remain? And not just remain, but continue to grow, continue to trust in Him?
What if there is no physician of the mind or the flesh available, what if there is no cure, no relief, what if He decides this is where He wants you to remain, what if your faith does not remove that thorn?
Those in these days of grace have been set apart from all who have come before us, all we are given is faith.
Can you say these words in faith?
“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:” (Job 13:15a)
