Healing

I want to focus on the first half of Psalm 107, because it is so helpful to our understanding of God's provision for us in this way. I hope you will take in its truths and be ready to act on them. Let's begin by reading the first seventeen verses of this psalm.

Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, and gathered out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. And He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city for a dwelling place. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness. Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in affliction and irons; because they rebelled against the words of God, and despised the counsel of the Most High, therefore He brought down their heart with labor; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their chains in pieces. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He has broken the gates of bronze, and cut the bars of iron in two. Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted.

(Psalm 107:1-17)

Man Is Responsible For His Condition

Psalm 107 tells it like it is, doesn't it? You will notice that all through this psalm, man is shown to be responsible for his own sorry situation. Every time the Bible, the Word of God, places the responsibility on man for his foolishness, his disobedience, his rebellion, and his rejection of God's Word and counsel, it is putting the responsibility right where it belongs—on us. We can't try to shift it back onto God.

Let's continue reading Psalm 107, starting with the verse with which we left off:

Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted. Their soul abhorred all manner of food, and they drew near to the gates of death.

(verses 17-18)

In other words, their condition was terminal. Their case was hopeless. The doctor couldn't do anything to help them. They had lost all appetite and couldn't take in any nourishment. They were right at death's door, so they were just waiting to die.

I like the next verse very much. It says, "Then they cried out to the Lord" (Psalm 107:19). Some people wait until the last minute before praying, don't they? When you are at death's door, it is indeed the very last moment when you have an opportunity to pray. "Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses" (verse 19).

How God Responds To Man's Desperate Condition

What does the Lord send to answer our desperate cries for help?

He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them

from their destructions. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing.

(Psalm 107:20-22)

God sends His Word to answer our need. Notice that, in sending His Word, He does three major things:

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

(verses 19—20)

What are the three things God does? He saves, He heals, and He delivers. By what means does He do these things? By His Word.

The Basis For Receiving Is The Word Of God

Let me state very clearly that the basis for receiving salvation, healing, or deliverance is the Word of God. Never seek to bypass God's Word to get results. Likewise, the basis for healing ministry is the Word of God. When Jesus gave instructions to His twelve disciples before sending them out to minister, He began by saying, "As you go, preach" (Matthew 10:7). Then, He said, "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons" (verse 8). It is the Word that brings the healing, the cleansing, the raising of the dead, and the casting out of demons. Everything centers on the Word of God.

Before anyone attempts to minister healing, it is essential that he understand what God's Word, the Bible, says about it. When hearing teaching on healing, some people might think, I wish he would stop teaching and get to praying. That is a counterproductive attitude. James 1:21 says, "Receive with meekness the implanted ["engrafted" KJV] word, which is able to save your souls." That "word" is not merely able to save your soul, but it is also able to heal your body— if

you will receive the word with meekness, and if you will open your heart to the Lord. If you will allow God's Word to be combined with faith inside you, it will accomplish God's purposes.

My name is Cesar and I’m A Voice in the Desert

www.avoiceinthedesert.net