08/27/2024
Jehovah Rapha, God Our Healer
Isaiah 59:19, “…when the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.”
Fall is coming, and with it a changing of the seasons. Not only will there be a change in the weather, but our clothing, our food choices, what we drink, (pumpkin spice latte anyone?) will change as well. But more importantly there will be “expected” changes in our health.
I recently heard a coach addressing a few hundred parents and students in a pre-season sports meeting. He told us, “Over the next few weeks everyone will be getting sick. Don’t worry about it. We know it will happen, so just make sure to text me and let me know that your student will miss practice.”
Now, this is a nice Christian man. He’s a great coach and I believe his heart is right in talking about what will probably come up in the next few weeks… in the natural realm. I can’t deny the possibility because more than likely, it WILL happen.
The reason this “prophecy of sickness” will come true is that we accept some things as “common”. It’s just what we do. We think we have no control over it, and we just have to accept it and ride it out to the happy ending of restored health.
The problem is, when it comes to Christianity and sickness, the “common cold” and the “seasonal flu” are not just a “simple fact of life” that we have to accept. Sickness does not come from God.
As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are no longer subject to the “common.” We have been bought with a price (I Corinthians 6:20), redeemed by His blood (Galatians 3:13), by His stripes we have been healed (I Peter 2:24), and Jesus “healed them all,” (Matthew 9:35).
Throughout scripture we are told that sickness is part of the curse. It is not a tool of righteousness to “teach” us, to slow us down, or as a lesson in patience. What Father would do something like that? Not ours!
But there is a “father of lies,” who comes to kill, to steal, and to destroy; and sickness is his number one “tool” to stop us in our tracks. He wants to stop us from all that God has called us to do and to be.
When we are sick what are we doing? Honestly, we are often simply trying to breathe…and sleep…and maybe eat something. It’s a struggle. And our attention is focused…on us!
Isaiah 54:16 teaches us, “Behold, I have created the blacksmith, who blows the coals in the fire, who brings forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the spoiler to destroy.
The devil hates you…and me. His only purpose is to destroy every believer. His mission is to stop us from… well… everything! And sickness does just that!
Verse 17 goes on to say, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the LORD.
Many times, the “weapon” that is formed against us is our own tongue. We speak words of destruction into our own lives. We say, “Flu season is coming. I sure hope it doesn’t knock me down for too long this year.” We accept and often embrace sickness as a part of our everyday lives.
Another weapon is the acceptance of what is being said by other “tongues.” Words spoken that do not line up with God’s Word. We take those words and not only agree with them, but we take them as our own. We believe. We repeat. We reap.
Isaiah 59, verse 21 goes on to say, “As for Me,” says the LORD, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the LORD, “from this time and forevermore.”
As we go into this fall season, let’s take a look at what we believe. Do we believe God’s Word concerning health? Do we teach our children to pray and believe the promises of God? Do we practice our faith on a deeper level by taking our thoughts captive and examining them through the lens of God’s Word? If found to be a lie, do we stop the power of those negative words by speaking God’s truth?
Jesus paid the price. His name is Jehovah Rapha. His very name is Healer.
When the enemy comes in with a flood of sickness and negative words, allow God to raise up a standard against him. Let that standard be His Word spoken through your mouth. Let your home be a place where health rules and reigns and where the devil is defeated.
Don’t allow “common” sickness to creep into your life, your home, your child’s school, or your church. The more we “practice” identifying the attack of sickness, the stronger we will become. Honing the weapons of our warfare on the “common” prepares us for the larger battles we may all one day face.
Let’s believe God and allow “The Spirit of the Lord to lift up a standard against him,” and together we will take back what the enemy has attempted to steal!
