DAILY BYTEYesterday we concluded that this particular story of healing teaches us that we don’t have to be physically whole to be whole. That healing us within seems to be of primary importance to God.
Let’s not use that as a cop-out though. You may be sitting reading this just aching for physical healing – that’s all your heart really desires. We know that Jesus did heal people physically and that many people today would testify God’s healing touch upon them in some way.
Let me encourage you to take your desire for physical healing to God. At the very least you will find that God is more than prepared to lavish his love upon you, but you do also need to know that we don’t always get the exact answers we hope for in this regard.
Even Jesus is shown at times having his requests in prayer turned down (see Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane or in Mark 6). Paul the Apostle himself prayed for healing from a ‘thorn in the flesh’ and each time God turned that request down.
It seemed that for Paul, in order for his spirit to be whole, God preferred him to walk with a limp rather than a strut. Paul testified how his thorn kept him from pride and ensured that he remained totally reliant on God. It was in this way, in his greatest weakness, that he found the sweet perfection of God’s strength.
The unpleasant truth is, for reasons most of us just cannot make sense of until much later, God sometimes says ‘no’ and he sometimes says ‘wait’ to our prayer requests.
But if there is one thing you should never doubt it is this: you don’t need to be physically whole to be whole, and to be truly well.
God loves you to the very core of your being, and what really matters to him is the wholeness of your spirit.
In a world where there is so much darkness and so many paralysed by their pain then know this – by the grace of God and in the love of God you can be whole. Your faith can make you well.
And may that be so for you.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Lord God, Paul learnt the reason for this thorn, so that he may walk with a limp rather than a strut. Bring to me understanding of why sometimes you don’t answer my prayers exactly the way I would like, and even if I don’t have understanding then give me faith, strength and perseverance. Amen.
FOCUS READING
2 Corinthians 12:7-12 NRSV
Paul’s Visions and Revelations
Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak then I am strong.
