BE HEALED!!!!!

Those two words should not cause the cynicism in me that they do, but they do. Nothing will cause me to go on "hyper alert" when listening to a preacher than to hear him proclaim that God has told him someone in the congregation will be healed. To me, it is almost as if they have spread out the crystal ball and are reading the future. I'm that dubious.

Perhaps I shouldn't be because God CAN heal, and I believe He does -- perhaps more than we realize.

When my father had his heart attack in 1999, I was convinced that his coma was temporary and that he would indeed "rise up and walk." In my mind, I entertained no other outcomes. My daddy was going to get better -- no other options existed. So, on January 3, 2002, when he passed away, I naturally asked, "What happened?????" I was upset that my daddy died; most people are. I was also upset that I had been wrong (not something I deal with easily, anyway, my husband tells me) about his healing.

In the months following his death, I asked God, "Why?????" Actually, I asked Him a lot. Then, one day He answered. It wasn't an audible voice, but real in my heart nevertheless. I asked, "God, I was convinced Daddy would be healed. I had faith in YOU that YOU would heal him. And you didn't. Why?"

"You only needed to believe that I could."

Wow.

So, why do faith healers bother me so? I used to think it was because they accused me of not having "enough" faith.

I have the faith. I KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that God can, and does heal. When dear friends recently found out that their little girl was going to be born with some special issues, did I think God could "fix" it? Yes, and I still do. In fact, I've even prayed to that end. So, if she is not "healed," did God fail to answer my prayers? NO. He, in His infinite wisdome knows exactly what needs to be done and He will do it.

In fact, to say that my lack of faith, or the parents' lack of faith, or Joe Blow's lack of faith prevented this little unborn child's healing is an abomination. Is GOD, the Creator of the UNIVERSE so small that the only way he can answer a prayer and honor faithfulness is through a healing?


I think not.

The other day, I read on a website a 7 year old's testimony that his preacher had proclaimed that he would be healed from his life debilitating, yet non-life threatening, disease. That bothered me. It also bothered me that if I "argued" with this preacher, or anyone else who was "claiming" this promise, I would be the one with the lack of faith.

Instead of looking at the omniscient power of God, instead of trusting in His grace and wisdom in knowing that sometimes bad things happen to good people for a REASON, and that instead of believing that God's glory can be revealed in ways other than healing, they choose to put their hope and faith in one single outcome. To me, claiming a healing (and sometimes "demanding" God to heal) is arrogant, selfish, and short-sighted. I would go so far as to say that it is time to let God out of this box we tend to put Him in, and allow His power to work.