This is the third post in a series on things the Bible has to say about the healing nature of Jehovah Rapha, God our Healer. It is my hope as we progress, that you, dear reader, will become awed by the depth of the Scriptural evidence of this part of the redemption purchased for believers by Jesus at the cross as surely as we trust in His deliverance from the penalty of sin.
Let’s start today by considering the authority of the believer and the importance of our words and their backing by belief.
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
Mark 11:22-25
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
What is your mountain? What apparently-immovable hindrance (or attitude) is blocking your way? If your self talk is defeatist, that hill will indeed remain stationary. Instead let your words be filled with faith in Him!
Does it go without saying? Those who practice witchcraft are attempting to conjure according to a perversion of this principle. Namely, that the form of their words will fabricate the outcome they desire (by magic). Notice in Mark 11:22 that the praying believer is first to have faith in God and in verse 25 is to believe he is receiving from God. It is God’s power. We know from the Scripture that God is holy. (If we know Him at all, our experience with Him bears that out, without question.) That He is holy means that He is wholly consistent: His words perfectly match His actions and His acts entirely obey His word. He never violates His nature: loving, just, wise, forbearing, giving, protecting, nurturing, attentive, to name a few characteristics. Do not, therefore, get the wrong idea about this awesome spiritual principle.
Here is another good evidence of our Source and His consistency:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
James 1:17
Good and perfect gifts are evidence of His consistently loving nature. I love that He is referred to as the “Father of lights” here. Jesus contrasted of the good gifts given by the Father with the best we can muster on our own:
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Matthew 7:11
A couple of passages in Genesis provide some exhortation to make our voice and our belief consistent, because we were made to be in harmony with Him (in His nature).
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Genesis 1:27
Backing up to the first part of Genesis 1 we find repeated reference to God speaking all of creation into existence. You know how it goes. He was exercising precisely the consistent expectation that Jesus is telling us to have in Mark 11. Making our words reflect unwavering faith in promises that we expect Him to deliver on is one way we are to walk in His way as image-bearers of our Creator.
Note there was no stubborn resistance to the Word of God in His creation work. No stars failed to begin their nuclear reactions, no galaxies failed to take their appointed shape. No particle of creation refused to exert gravitational attraction of all the other particles. That bears repeating. First He said, “let there be”, then, “and there was”.
Be wary that doubt counters faith. Don’t despair. We usually get opportunity to practice greater stability.
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
James 1:2-8
Who is the enemy that contends against you? You do not face your accuser alone.
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Isaiah 41:10-13
Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.
Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
Finally, remember that these words of the Father in Isaiah are looking forward to the deliverance Jesus would attain for us at the Cross. Our perspective is looking back to the finished work of Jesus.
It is finished.
John 19:30
Missionary Sojourn 