Sarah Blake LaRose

When God called Abram, He said, “Arise and go to the land that I will show you.” No details were provided about how this journey would take place, where it would take him, how long it would take. It was simply a journey that would take him to a new land that would be his.

Likewise, when God took the Israelites out of Egypt, He left out any details about what would happen along the way. Oh yeah, there was a desert involved, and the Red Sea to cross with no idea that it would part, and enemies who would threaten them with strong battle if they tried to cross over their land. Oh yeah, and nothing to eat but bread and bird meat.

About those Israelites… The people who whined and complained never got to go to the Promised Land.

What does all this mean for us?

We live in the time when we can read stories of great miracles. Jesus healed this person, and that one, and that one … and they were instantly changed! Why can’t Jesus do that for us? The Church tells us that he can…

But what if that isn’t the point?

When Jesus heals a person, he requires something of them. The requirement isn’t the same for each person. He also requires something of the community where they live.

If we ask healing of Jesus, are we ready to do what Jesus asks? Are we ready to meet him in front of the community where we live and allow him to use our healing to change the community? Moreover, are we willing to walk as if healed before the healing has been accomplished? Are we willing to walk the journey to the promised land?

Some healings are things that will happen if we do the things that are necessary to live into the healing. I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes in 2010 due to long-term steroid use. I needed the steroids due to a medical condition. I didn’t need to eat the amount of complex carbohydrates and sugar that I had been eating. If I changed my diet, my body could heal. And it did. Today I don’t need diabetes medication. I do still need to eat carefully. I always will. I will always need to live my healing.

This doesn’t mean that God did not heal me. God most certainly did. God was beside me every step of the way, and remains there. Living in my healing is not easy. It is my commitment, my spiritual discipline just as living in the fruit of the Spirit is. I put off the old nature and put on the new nature every day. It is never easy. It is always something I have God’s help with. And it is always true no matter what I need help with.

There are some conditions that I do still take medication for, and I always will. This also does not mean God did not heal me. God guided me to the doctors who prescribed those medications after many years. God is not a God who rejects human-made substances. God is Lord of their use and we in the Church need to be compassionate to people who need medication as part of their wellness.