How to receive God's healing...in every area of life
Believers, consider the name of God: Jehovah Rapha- The Lord who Heals. The word 'Rapha' has its roots in the Hebrew word 'Raphah' which has the following meanings: "to sink, relax, sink down, let drop, be disheartened." Here's a link for anyone who wants to study more:
'Raphah' means to "to let drop, abandon, relax, refrain, forsake." For instance, Psalm 46:10 says-
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
"Be still" above is translated from the Hebrew word "Raphah." Be still means "do nothing."
See other versions of this verse:
NASB: “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
NET: "He says, “Stop your striving and recognize that I am God! I will be exalted over the nations! I will be exalted over the earth!”"
TPT: "Surrender your anxiety! Be silent and stop your striving and you will see that I am God. I am the God above all the nations, and I will be exalted throughout the whole earth."
YLT: "Desist, and know that I [am] God, I am exalted among nations, I am exalted in the earth."
One thing is common to all these verses: for us to see the power of God move in our lives, we have to "be still" and "desist" from all striving of our own - the very thing that many are trying to do in order to receive their healing today!
People are being taught to strive to obtain healing in every facet of life- health, family, finances, living a righteous life, overcoming sins and addictions, whatever.
Striving speaks of human effort. God says "Be still." He says "Be silent and stop your striving," but many in the church are striving with puny efforts at obeying the Ten Commadments in order to be righteous, sowing seed and fasting in order to be healed of sickness, paying tithes in order to have healthy finances. None of these "righteous" things can save anybody. They are righteousnesses of self aka self-righteousness which God detests. They come from a place of dependence on the arm of flesh (human effort) for salvation and the arm of flesh will fail. Depending on the arm of flesh (human effort at obeying the law to score points in holiness) makes one proud and able to levy others with burdens (laws) that even they cannot carry. They don't know that they can't carry these burdens because they have not been tempted beyond what they can bear in those areas. This is why many leaders and churchgoers who profess Christ but do not believe Him can self-righteously boast thus:
"God made me rich because I pay my tithe regularly and I don't sin so go and do the same so that God can bless you."
Believer, this is the height of pride and folly! Notice no Christ saving from sins (Matt. 1:21) in their equation. 2 Corinthians 2:8-9 tells us:
"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich."
But these ones are made rich by their tithes. Such teach that we should not "be still" and that we are to strive to be rich. Believer, let's not be found here. Such are either agents of Satan or do not yet realise that the reason why we are not committing particular sins is because we have not been tempted beyond what we can bear in those areas. The potential to commit heinous crimes is in everybody. God sees this potential and how favourable circumstances can make some people think that some sins are beneath them. He knows that when push comes to shove, like Peter, the one who relies on human effort at attaining healing, suppressing sinful urges, getting out of poverty, will fail. So He wants us to depend wholly on Him for our every need.
When Christ saves, we GET TO live right; we get to live in triumph over sin and death (Romans 5:17;) we get to live a life of moral excellence that exceeds even that which the law demands. We get to give even beyond the lawful regulations of the tithe, because "No longer I that live but Christ lives in me."
But there is something about arm of flesh that will fail that wants to remain relevant in the story of our salvation. The arm of flesh loves to boast about its own "filthy rags" obedience and wonders why some people just won't stop sinning.
Believers, by grace, see how God sees the sick, the poor, the greedy, the stingy, the gossip, the fornicator, the selfish, the thief, the rapist, the one that cannot obey the law- : God sees all as having shortcomings and IN NEED OF SALVATION. God sees all as having fallen into a pit. The person who has fallen into a pit needs help getting out. These shortcomings can happen to anybody given the right circumstances. We think and even boast that we can never steal? Consider Proverbs 16:12-
"Your boast becomes a prophecy of a future failure.
The higher you lift up yourself in pride,
the harder you’ll fall in disgrace."
A weightlifter cannot carry more than he can carry. But what happens when life, which is not concerned about your weight, stature or level of preparedness, throws you a weight that is beyond you? Christ is the Way out of every test, trial and temptation.
Believer, steer clear of those who keep you working to earn salvation from sins, sickness, lack and so on with puny efforts at obeying the law and various "righteous works" that only amount to "a menstrual rag" in God's sight according to Isaiah 64:6. The Lord God says in Isaiah 30: 15-17 (MSG)
"God, the Master, The Holy of Israel,
has this solemn counsel:
“Your salvation requires you to turn back to Me
and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves.
Your strength will come from settling down
in complete dependence on Me—..."
Believers, in order to cross any Red Sea (of sickness, lack, fear, depression, whatever troubles you,) you have to be still. Be still, and you will see the salvation of the Lord.
It's no wonder that Jesus performed most of His miracles on the Sabbath of the Jews, when they rested from all their works of the law. On the Sabbath day, no one was fasting, sowing seed, doing night vigil or doing anything in order to get from God or earn a livelihood. The people relaxed: Raphah. And Christ worked. He healed many people on the Sabbath:
the lame man by the Pool of Bethesda, (John 5:1-18;) the demon possessed man in the synagogue (Mark 1:21-28;) Peter's mother-in-law (Mark 1:29-31;) the man with the withered hand (Mark 3:1-6;) the man that was born blind (John 9:1-16;) the woman with the spirit of infirmity bound for 18 years (Luke 13:10-17;) the man with dropsy (Luke 14:1-6.)
All were healed on the Sabbath. None were asked to go and sow seed or pay tithe or fast or obey the Ten Commandments before the Lord showered them with His Grace- undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour.
By grace, let's open our eyes to Grace. It is not for those who can work for it, earn it, deserve it, merit it with puny efforts at obeying the law and doing good things. It is for the undeserving, the helpless, the weak; those who see that were it not for favourable circumstances orchestrated by God, they would be wallowing in sins. It is for those who need our Saviour Jesus to save them from theirs sins. It is for those who have no might and no power to do anything in order to be healed or saved from sins but depend on the Spirit of the Lord; those who believe and receive God's counsel:
“Your salvation requires you to turn back to Me
and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves.
Your strength will come from settling down
in complete dependence on Me—..."
Believer, Raphah: Relax. Be still. Desist. Cease from your striving. Surrender your anxiety. Know that you can do nothing to save yourself and all of our puny "might and power" activities like sowing seed and fasting to get God to heal or bless only amount to "a menstrual rag." Like the woman with the issue of blood, these " Men of God" who tell you to "do this and bring that" in order for God to bless and heal you will only sap you of your resources and leave you worse off than before. Touch "the hem of His garment" today (receive His gift of righteousness) and See your healing manifest. He will heal every facet of your life. FREELY. See Romans 8:32-
"He who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"
Let's not put the cart before the horse as is being taught in many places of worship today. When your believing is right, right living will follow. In Christ, we don't HAVE TO live right; we GET TO live right. Christ does it all. This is why we sing "tis no longer I that liveth but Christ that liveth in me."
Be still, and know the power of Jehovah Rapha: The Lord who Heals.
Believe Right and you will Live Right.
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