May We Reflect His Image!
I was asked recently if there was anything I would like to share with the ministers during the ministers’ meeting. I told them I would pray about it and let them know if I felt the Lord had given me anything to share. My initial thought was simply to express our deep gratitude to each one for all the love and prayers that have been prayed for us during this affliction. But as I was praying one night the Lord began to talk to me about some thoughts that I felt He would have me to share. The very next night He once again began to burn the thoughts on my heart, and I was unable to go to sleep until I had written some of them down. Since then, He has continued to lay the burden on my heart, and has also given me special strength to write these things, so I would like to share them with you, especially with the younger generation. While I feel totally inadequate to address this subject as it deserves to be brought out, my desire is to please the Lord and to help precious souls see the wonderful privilege we have been given by God! Within this wonderful plan of salvation is everything we need to keep us while here on earth, and to help us make Heaven! My heart’s desire is that our young ministers might have a clear vision of the solid foundation for the things we preach and teach, and of the experience God desires for us each one to attain to.
In our world today, with all the advanced medical capabilities, it is sometimes hard for people to understand why someone would choose to trust God for their healing, as I have done. Understanding this, I would like to share some of the reasons why I have chosen to trust God in this affliction.
There are many reasons, but I will only take time to focus on four of the primary reasons for my decision:
First, because I believe God is!
I believe that He is the Creator of this world, and All things therein, and that He is a “rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.”
I believe that the “Creator of All Things” still has “All power in Heaven and in Earth”! And that it is this same power that kept Noah and his family safe (when the earth was destroyed by the flood), that kept Daniel safe in the midst of the lions’ den, and that kept the Three Hebrews safe in the midst of the fiery furnace (even the smell of smoke was not on their clothes)!
I believe that it is this same power that parted the Red Sea for Moses, that parted the Jordan River for Joshua, and that caused the waters to part for Elijah & Elisha!
I believe that it is this same power that caused the axe head to float for Elisha, that multiplied the barrel of meal and cruse of oil for the widow, that raised the widow’s son from death, that healed Naaman the leper, and that worked many other mighty miracles throughout the Old Testament!
I believe it is the same power that raised Lazarus from the dead, that (with one word) enabled Peter to walk on the water, that multiplied the loaves and the fishes, that healed the sick, the blind, the lame, that put a piece of money in the fish’s mouth, that raised Jesus from the dead, and that performed many other miracles in Jesus’ time!
I believe it is this same power that healed the impotent man who was forty (40) years old and had been lame from his mother’s womb (that Peter & John met at the temple gate Beautiful), the same power that enabled Stephen to “do great wonders and miracles among the people”, and that enabled him to forgive his persecutors in his time of stoning, the same power that worked through Philip to cast out many unclean spirits, and to heal many that “were taken with palsies and were lame”, the same power that healed Aeneas who had been bedfast with palsy for eight (8) years, that raised Dorcas from the dead, that opened Saul’s eyes when he was blinded by the light from Heaven, the same power that worked through Paul & Barnabas to heal the lame man at Lystra, and that worked through Paul to heal the father of Publius (of the bloody flux), to shake off the poisonous viper from his hand and not be harmed, and the same power that worked through the disciples to perform many other mighty miracles.
I also believe the Scripture when it says, “He is the same yesterday, today, and forever,” and I truly believe that Jesus still has “All power in Heaven and in Earth”!
And I also believe if people today could truly understand who “He is”, and that He is “a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him,” they would not think it strange in the least for someone to put their trust completely in Him!
Second, because God has been so faithful to me all through my life!
He has never once failed me, so I can with full confidence put my complete trust in Him, to keep me, and to do what He sees is best for me!
He healed me as a baby, when I had an internal blockage that would not allow anything to pass through my system for several days. When it looked like I could not live, God miraculously answered prayer and removed the blockage! He also healed me of all the childhood diseases like measles, chickenpox, whooping cough, mumps, and many other childhood sicknesses.
When I became an adult and started my career, He did not fail me then! He healed me of what some thought was pneumonia! I had not been on the job very long when I became very sick and missed several days of work. One day my boss talked to Bro. Danny Doolittle (who worked there at that time) and told him that if I did not go and have something done so I could get better soon, they would have to let me go. When Bro. Danny called and told me this, I was devastated, and after hanging up the phone, I began to pray and tell the Lord all about it. I reminded Him that I was trying to trust Him and that He gave me this job and how much I needed it! He let me talk, and when I was finished, God spoke to me as clearly as He has ever spoken to me, and said, “I gave you that job and if I want you to have it I can preserve it for you, if not, then you do not need it anyway!” When I heard those words, a feeling of peace swept over me and I was able to put it all in His hands at that moment! (The next time Bro. Danny called to let me know the boss was getting pretty insistent, I let him know what the Lord told me and how I had committed it to Him, and he said, “That settles it,” and that he wouldn’t worry about it anymore.) From that moment the Lord began the healing process, and I was able to return to work in a few days. God not only answered prayer and preserved the job for me, but He gave me a powerful promise to stand on that kept me through many other trials and tests with my career, (He preserved that job for almost 44 years) and it has been an anchor in other battles. It has also provided me with something to help others in their battles as well! (God never wastes an opportunity to work His perfect plan in the things He permits to come our way! During my time down with my heart attacks in 2009, God showed me that when He permits something to come our way it is for many purposes, some for us and some for others. But primarily it is either to Prove us, Perfect us, or to Prepare us, and many times it is for all three because He loves us and wants us to be victorious.)
He healed me of chemical poisoning, from breathing in fumes from mixed chemicals, which made me severely ill and resulted in a case of lockjaw. When my wife realized how serious I was, and that if God did not undertake for us I was not going to make it, she called for several ministers to come and have an agreement of prayer for me. After a season of prayer and counseling, they began to sing songs of victory. My faith was inspired (even though I felt no change in my condition), and I raised my hand and tried to sing and praise God with my jaw still locked. The Lord rewarded my faith and immediately released my jaw, and began the healing process so that I was able to return to work in a few days.
About 16 years ago He healed me of several heart attacks, two of which the doctor that came and examined me said were major attacks. An old nurse (who had seen many cases) heard about my condition and told my sister “the heart will not heal itself, and that I would never get any better than the condition I was in at that time” (which was in a state where I could not even care for myself). But God not only healed my heart, He preserved my job and enabled me to return to work! I was also able to do hard physical work and to preach for the past 15+ years, thanks to our God!
After I had the heart attacks, they said that most heart attack patients will typically have another attack in 8-10 years, and typically that attack will be a fatal attack. I know of two other people who had heart attacks after I did. One had a minor heart attack for his first attack and 10 years later he had another major attack that he did not recover from. The other individual was told that he would very likely have another major attack in 12 years, and he had a massive attack in 12 years and 3 months that took him. (If I recall correctly, both of these individuals had heart surgery with their first attacks.) I mention these incidents, not to cast any reflection on either one of them, as I had great respect for both of them and hope to meet them in Heaven someday, but instead to illustrate how there is no need for anyone to feel ashamed to trust God, or to feel that fully trusting God is somehow inferior to what man can do! While I am grateful for the advances in medical science, and the help they have been to many in our world, God has been so faithful to me, and I am deeply grateful for the wonderful privilege to trust Him!
As I have considered all that He has done for me through the years, and the miraculous way He has healed me time after time, it causes me to want to love Him even more! (And while I realize that Jesus said () “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” and that sometimes the Lord will give us opportunities to prove our love, my prayer is Lord help me to have the grace and faith to be able to follow Christ’s example, of complete trust in the Father’s will, instead of doing like King Asa of old! Job also said () …”shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?..” May the Lord help me to be faithful, that after having received all His blessings, I will not doubt His Love, His Power, and His Wisdom to know what is best for me!) But please do not misunderstand, I do not look at it as a duty to trust Him, but I truly feel it is a real privilege to bring ALL my needs to my Heavenly Father, and to be able to have complete trust in Him to take care of them! Which leads to the third reason.
Third, I trust Him because I love the Lord with ALL my heart, and I am fully persuaded that I can trust His Wisdom to know and do what is best for me!
When I look over my life, and see all the mercy and love He has shown to me, in spite of all my blunders, mistakes, and failures, it causes me to feel so unworthy of His love and mercies, and to feel forever indebted to Him!
Then, when I consider how He was willing to leave the splendors of Heaven (where He had no pain or suffering, but was worshipped continually), and come to this earth, where He suffered many things, false accusations, was ridiculed and reviled, was spit upon, slapped, whipped mercilessly, and then crucified on an old rugged cross, for our (my) sins, I can only say as the song writers, …”who am I that a King would bleed and die for….who am I that He would say, not my will, thine, Lord”… and also… “since Jesus gave His life for me should I not give Him mine”? How deserving He is of our love and trust!
I have found that when I truly love God with All my heart, soul, mind, and strength (as the Scriptures teach us to do) and trust Him implicitly, it is not hard to put my life in His hands! (Many do this every day with doctors and medical professionals whom they do not know at all, so why should it be thought a strange thing to place one’s trust in our Heavenly Father, who has demonstrated over and over that He loves us and cares for us more than anyone else! especially if you truly believe that He Created All things and has All power in Heaven and in Earth)! But I have also found that when my love for Him begins to cool, it becomes much harder to do so! May God help us to have a fervent love for God!
Many times the enemy will use the fear of “what might happen” to hinder souls. But I sincerely believe that my loving Heavenly Father, who has “All Power in Heaven and in Earth”, will not permit anything to come my way that He, in His infinite wisdom, does not see is best for me, and for His Cause, if I faithfully obey Him. I also wholeheartedly believe that I can trust His Power and His Grace to keep me and help me, in whatever I face in my life, just as He has for all of those mentioned above, and many more!
God taught me this lesson after my first heart attacks. I was praying over and over, “Lord, I want to make Heaven above all else, and if you see that you need to take me now to get me to Heaven then that is what I want!” After praying this way a few times the Lord spoke to me one day and gently reproved me with these words, “I do not need to take you out of this world to keep you, you can trust My Grace, My Wisdom, and My Power, to keep you right in the midst of a wicked and perverse generation!” And then He reminded me of how He kept Daniel in the lions’ den, and the Three Hebrews in the fiery furnace! And I am fully convinced that He can do the same for me! But this does not mean that I will always understand His plan, which leads me to relate an incident that happened during this affliction.
The day I had the first spell with my heart in 2025, I told the Lord my desire was that “He would use me as He saw fit”, and that has remained my prayer and desire throughout this affliction.
Then, one day, after hearing the comment “I just don’t understand why God permitted…” (a comment that I have heard many times) I began to ask the Lord about it, as I did not want there to be a failure of any kind on my part that would hinder Him from being able to work, and thereby cause a reflection on His power, wisdom, or motives.
God reminded me of my request to “be used as He saw fit” and of all the many calls, cards, texts, and other acts of kindness that we have received from so many people (including many not in the church) who have said “they were praying for us every day”!
And then I was reminded of my prayer over and over when this would happen, “Lord, thank you for your wonderful love and mercies to us and for showing it to us through all these dear people! Please bless them for their kindness, and use this opportunity, as they think of us and pray for us, to talk to them and draw them close to you”.
The thought then came to me “if through my suffering people would be inclined to spend even one more minute a day talking to the Lord than they would normally spend, then that one minute with the Lord has the potential to accomplish so much more than I could hope to accomplish if I were well.” And if my ultimate goal (as a minister, or even as a Christian) is to help people have a personal relationship with the Lord, (and knowing that the best way to develop a close relationship with someone is to spend one-on-one time talking to them) if God in His infinite wisdom sees that He can use this affliction to help further His cause, who am I to question His plan?
As I thought on all these things, I told the Lord, “I don’t have to understand” as long as I know your blessing and approval is on my life, because I fully trust your wisdom. Then the thought came to me of the many soldiers who have gone into battle and faithfully carried out the general’s orders while not understanding why they were asked to do the things they were commanded to do. They simply trusted their general to lead them wisely, and obeyed, even at great personal cost and sacrifice!
I wanted the Lord to know that I loved Him enough to trust His will in my life, even though I may not understand what He is doing.
As I lay there meditating on these things, the song came to me “Who am I that a King would bleed and die for, who am I that He would say, not my will, thine, Lord” (knowing that He suffered so much for me!) and I had to conclude with, “Lord, who am I that I should question Your Will?” Surely He, who not only created me, but also gave His life for me, is worthy to be trusted!
When I think of all that the Apostles, and other martyrs, suffered for the Kingdom of God’s sake, or of the suffering of Job and what it meant for his three friends (and to us today), or of the suffering and sacrifices that so many have made to take the gospel to heathen lands, or even of the quiet suffering and daily sacrifice that many an humble child of God has made, in very trying circumstances, to be an example and to win the souls of their companion or children, (thinking of some godly wives/mothers who have lived with a drunkard and patiently suffered many years before their husband/child finally humbled himself and got saved because of the faithful life lived before him) I have to conclude again, “Who am I to question His will, or what I may be called to suffer?” If all of these were willing to suffer so much in hopes that even one soul could be saved? If God, in His infinite wisdom, permits us to suffer for a while, and through our suffering He is able to help one soul make Heaven, “because they took a minute to talk to Him and in that minute He sowed a seed that produced just what they needed to help them make it through”, would it not be worth it all?
This is just one small way that the Lord showed me that He can work, but I realize He uses our trials and afflictions to accomplish so many things in His perfect plan! The Scriptures are full of examples of where God has used afflictions to work out His perfect plan! Look at Paul’s affliction that God had grace for (), at Job’s affliction (), at Lazarus’ death (), at the man that was blind from his birth (), or the man by the pool of Bethesda () etc.
My prayer is, Lord, help me to be willing to be used of “You” as “You see fit” even when I may not understand why. (Is this not the love that Christ had for us?) Lord help us, as sometimes I fear we may focus too much on the “healing” and miss the greater blessing that God has for us, and for His Cause! It reminds me of the verse in () “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Lord help us to see your plan!) Please do not misunderstand me, healing is an important part of God’s plan and He desires to grant it to His children. He wants us to come with full assurance of His love, and a strong faith to believe that He can and will answer our prayers! But it is just one part of His plan, and if our focus is solely on healing, we will feel disappointed and discouraged when God chooses to permit us to “wait” while He works out His perfect plan. Or if God, in His infinite wisdom, decides that it is best to take our loved one. To God, our souls and the Cause of God are of utmost importance. And that is because of His great love for mankind!
God has helped me to have a greater understanding of His love through this affliction. One day the enemy had been bringing all kinds of discouraging thoughts about the future, our world’s conditions, “what might happen” if I did get healed, etc. And as I was resisting his attempts to discourage me, my mind went to thoughts of Heaven. As I thought on what Heaven must be like and how wonderful it would be to be there, (no more pain, trials, temptations, or worries) I began to have an intense longing to just go on to be with the Lord! The thought came to me, I am so close now it would be better to just go on now! The more I thought on it the desire to “go on” grew stronger and stronger. But as I was earnestly looking to the Lord and telling Him my desire, He began to bring different ones to my mind, our congregation, my family, our friends and neighbors, and many other souls, and as I thought on them I felt a great desire to see them all make Heaven. The thought came to my mind, “Lord, who will help them and encourage them to make it, because I really want them to make Heaven.” And then all the things the enemy had been telling me, of the potential trials and difficulties ahead if the Lord were to heal me, came back to my mind. And it was like the Lord was asking me, are you willing to stay and suffer those things, to help them? Even though in my heart I felt such a strong desire to go on, I told the Lord, “Lord, if you can use me to help these precious souls make Heaven I am willing to stay, but if not, then my heart’s desire is to go on to Heaven!” After I said that, the Lord brought to my mind how Christ was willing to leave the splendor of Heaven and come to this earth, and suffer all that He did, for our souls! And it gave me a much greater appreciation for the wonderful love of our God! And my prayer has been even more, “Lord, use me as you see fit and perfect your love in me!”
Fourth, and the last reason I will cover here (but certainly not the least of the reasons) why I choose to trust God for my healing is because divine healing is clearly a Bible doctrine that applies to the church today. (I will spend a little more time on this one because while it is a Bible doctrine, there are some things that we need to understand, for ourselves, and in dealing with others as we consider this doctrine.)
In the very beginning of creation God had a plan to address the physical needs of man, which would enable him to live forever. The Scriptures tell us that God placed in the Garden of Eden “the tree of life”, and God said in () that if they partook of this tree they would “live forever”. While there are other spiritual applications to this as well, I believe that as long as man did not sin, God intended for man to be able to partake of this tree of life and live forever. But if man sinned, he would die and his body would return to the dust from which they were created.
When you consider how God made man, it reveals a lot about the wisdom of God. The Scriptures tell us () that God “formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” They also tell us that “out of the ground God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air.” When you think about the significance of this, everything that is made of the dust of the ground goes back to dust eventually (by God’s design). Man has created many things out of the resources of this earth and all of them eventually return to dust. Some take longer than others but they all decay over time and return to the earth from which they were made. This was part of the marvelous plan of God! The earth is constantly refreshing itself and as things decay and return to the “dust of the earth” new life is formed and the cycle repeats. (We serve such an awesome and wise God! Can you imagine how terrible it would be if nothing died but was constantly decaying? If all the “trash” and “debris” that has been generated over the years was still laying around? Or if all the evil, wicked people that ever lived were still alive on the earth today?) But God in His infinite wisdom had a perfect plan! As long as man did not sin and partook of the “tree of life” the process of decay could not work its effect upon them! But when man sinned, the Scriptures tell us () that God drove man out of the Garden of Eden so they could no longer partake of the “tree of life”.
But just as God did not leave man without hope after man sinned—He had a perfect plan of salvation for man—He also had a plan for the physical health of His people. (; ; ; )
Ever since the fall of man, God has illustrated in His dealings with mankind His great desire to have a people who would “love Him with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength”!
Over and over throughout the Scriptures, you will find God showing His blessings, approval, and pleasure, on those who not only served Him, but also put their lives on the line to prove their faith in and obedience to Him! Look at Noah, Daniel, Joseph, Abraham, the Three Hebrews, David, Jeremiah, the Apostles, the Centurion, all the “Heroes of Faith” & “Martyrs” in Heb. 11, and many others in the Old and New Testaments.
God also illustrated over and over His displeasure and rejection of those who should have known and yet failed to trust and obey Him. Like with King Belshazzar (), King Saul (), King Asa (see ), and many other kings, prophets, and judges.
God showed us His desire in His covenant with Israel…() where He promised that if they would “hearken to the voice of the Lord… do that which is right… he would put none of the diseases upon them that He brought upon the Egyptians… and that He would be their healer,”
The Psalmist also spoke of the desire of God in () “who forgiveth all thine iniquities and healeth all thy diseases.” And over and over God has demonstrated His desire to provide for “All” the needs of His people (to fight their battles, supply their physical and temporal needs, etc. (see , , , and many others.).
The prophets prophesied of the wonderful plan of salvation and of the healing of soul and body that God has provided for our day. (See .) And Jesus made it clear that He came to fulfill this wonderful plan for mankind. (See ; .) Jesus also made it very clear throughout His ministry that the same faith in God could produce the healing of the body and the saving of the soul! (See ; ; ; , etc.)
Jesus also gave this power to His disciples, (see , , , , , etc.) and His commission to them before He departed was that they should “go into all the world and preach the gospel and that these signs would follow them…” (see ).
When you read the Scriptures you will find the doctrine of divine healing taught, and demonstrated, throughout the New Testament (see , , , , 36-42, , , , , , etc.).
Some have said that this gift stopped with the Apostles, but if you study church history, right on down through the present day, you will find over and over clear examples of the miraculous power of God healing and working miracles in answer to prayer for the children of God. If it happens once, that is enough to demonstrate that it is still available to the church today, but by the countless examples that are easily verified, it should leave no doubt!
The commission that God gave to His disciples still applies to us today, and we also have the wonderful privilege to take all of our needs to the Lord, as the writer in () instructs us. Divine healing is a wonderful gift that has been provided for us today, just as with the rest of the plan of salvation! (See , , , etc.) And when I say to “us today” I am referring to the children of God.
While God many times shows mercy on the unbelievers, and grants them some of the privileges that belong to the children of God, healing, like prayer, is a wonderful privilege that belongs to the children of God! (See , , etc.) The Scriptures make it clear that God is not obligated to hear the prayers of sinners (see , , , , , , , , , , , , , etc.) and yet some people act like they have the right to be heard and have their petitions granted even though they do not obey the Scriptures. (The one sinner’s prayer that God has obligated Himself to hear is the one referred to in ) But while God in His mercy does hear and answer sinners’ prayers many times, especially when He sees they are of a broken and contrite heart, prayer is the wonderful privilege of the children of God! It is a privilege that we have through Christ to be able to come to the Father for all our needs! (See , , , , , etc.)
While there are many other Scriptures on divine healing that we could consider, I believe this should be sufficient to demonstrate that it is a clear Bible doctrine that applies to the church today. Many times people fail to avail themselves of all that God has provided for them! But just because they do not enjoy all the blessings of the wonderful plan of salvation does not mean it is not available to those who seek it with all their heart! And that leads me to some additional points regarding divine healing that I would like to address here. Sometimes people criticize the ministry, and the saints, for our stand on divine healing. I have heard people say things like, “It is almost tempting God to trust Him for your healing and not avail yourself of the medical advances that are available today.” As with all the other aspects of the wonderful plan of salvation, there will be those who oppose what the Bible teaches. Sometimes it is due to a lack of understanding, and sometimes out of an unwillingness to embrace all that the Bible teaches. But as already discussed above, God has demonstrated over and over down through time that He is looking for a people who love Him enough to put their complete trust in Him. When I hear those types of arguments, it causes me to ask, “Should Daniel have prayed in secret, or the Three Hebrews bowed openly but said in their hearts that they still loved and trusted God, because man came up with a different plan? Should all those who came to Jesus, and later to the disciples, to be healed, have gone to the physicians instead, or at a minimum, asked them to bless the physicians’ hands so they could be healed? Is it only when man cannot do something for us that we are permitted to put our complete trust in God? Is God required to utilize the knowledge and skills of fallible man, who may or may not even believe in Him, to work through to heal one of His children?” (As discussed later, I greatly appreciate those who have used their time & talents to try and help their fellow man, so this is by no means intended as a slight to them).
There are also those who believe that we are required to seek our salvation through a “minister or a priest,” but the Scriptures clearly teach us that the “just shall live by faith” (see , , , , etc. & see also )! Christ clearly taught us that the same faith can produce the healing of the body or the saving of the soul, but if we say someone is required to go through man for our healing, must we also go through man for the saving of our souls? When God has proven faithful to help us over and over, in minor things and with life-threatening situations, why should we not be permitted to simply put our complete trust in Him?
I have also heard it said that “the ministry requires people to trust the Lord for their healing,” and many similar things. But these ideas come from a lack of understanding of the wonderful plan that God has provided for His children.
The foundation of the whole plan of salvation is “Love”! Love is what caused God to send His Son into this world to bring it to us; it is also what caused Christ to be willing to go through all He did for us, and it requires a heartfelt love for God to avail ourselves of its wonderful benefits! Just as the ministers do not “require” a person to be saved, sanctified, baptized, wear modest clothing, or anything else the Scriptures teach, they do not “require” anyone to practice the doctrine of divine healing!
Like with salvation, or any other doctrine, it would be a vain thing to try and “require” a person to be saved! It is a work of the heart, and while the ministers preach and teach of the need of salvation and of its wonderful benefits, each individual has to seek it for themselves and believe in their heart that God has it for them! It is the same with the doctrine of divine healing. It is a wonderful gift that God has provided for His children, but it would be a foolish thing to try and force someone else to believe and practice it if they do not have faith in the power of God to heal them, or to believe that God will hear and answer their prayers!
Some have also said that “the saints do not believe in doctors” but that is also not correct. As I have said many times, I am very thankful for those who have used their talents to try and help other people! Our world would be in a much worse condition if there was not someone people could go to when they are sick, if they do not have a strong faith in God! (Even though man is fallible and makes mistakes, many doctors try their best to help their fellow man and have been a great blessing to many.) I have personally gone to the hospital many times to pray for people who were under a doctor’s care! And I do not believe it is my place to criticize them, or condemn them for “not trusting God for their healing,” but instead I have earnestly prayed for them that God would heal their bodies and bless them in their souls. The Scriptures teach us that “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye but not to doubtful disputations.” () As with any other area of a person’s relationship with God, where we may see a weakness, our role is to pray for them, encourage them, and be an example to them. To help them grow in faith and understanding so they can make Heaven. When I look back over the many mistakes and blunders I have made along my walk with God, it makes me so thankful for His mercy and long-suffering to me as I have grown in the Lord! And the Lord expects the same of us!
With all the advances in the medical field today, it is easy to see why people struggle to understand God’s desire for man to simply “trust and obey” Him, like Abraham of old, when to our human reasoning it may not make sense! (What God asked Abraham to do with his son made absolutely no sense from a human reasoning viewpoint, but from a spiritual perspective it revealed so much! It revealed Abraham’s deep love for God, and God’s wonderful plan of salvation!) May God help us to see His plan for us, and to get a vision of what the writer spoke of in (). Many times throughout the Scriptures, man has struggled because he did not understand the plan of God!
But that does not negate the wonderful plan that God has provided for His children! I am reminded of the Scripture () “For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?” As with salvation, the answer is a resounding “No”! Divine healing is a wonderful gift that God has provided for His children! And as I have described above, putting our complete trust in Him is not something that we do out of a “sense of duty,” but from a deep love for God and an unwavering trust in His wisdom, power, and wonderful love for us!
While I would that every child of God might have a clear vision of all that God has for them in His wonderful plan, and that they could experience the blessings, and wonderful peace that comes with being able to commit our “All” into His hands, it is something that will only come when we can truly “love Him with All of our heart, soul, mind, and strength”! This is the love that the Scripture refers to when it talks about “faith which worketh by love.” When a person comes to the place where he truly loves God more than life itself, and not only trusts His Power and Wisdom, but desires His Will to be done in his life more than anything else, then it becomes easy to put your “All” into His Hands.
But this is an area of growth that each individual must attain to for themselves! And while I try to do my best to live it, teach it, and preach it, so that more people can come to this place and experience the wonderful benefit that we have been given, it would never work to try and “require” people to practice it if they do not see it or believe it, or are not living where God will hear and answer their prayers. I would add here, it is both unwise and wrong to expect God to heal our bodies, or those of our children, if we are unwilling to measure to all the light that God has shown on our pathway!
Jesus told the people “According to your faith be it unto you” () and “thy faith hath made thee whole” (, , etc.) If we are not living where we can have faith in God for something ourself, it is unwise to continue in that condition expecting the ministers to have faith for us. While God can and many times will hear their prayers, (just as Jesus healed those whose faith was weak) He wants each one of us to have this personal relationship with Him. The same goes for our children.
Jesus said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not…” (, , etc.) The Scriptures also teach us to “train up a child in the way they should go.” () and also that we have a responsibility to teach our children the things God has given unto us (see , , , etc.)
While Jesus honored the faith of the parents when they brought their requests to Him for their children… (see , , 35-42, etc.) Jesus told the man that brought his child to His disciples, and they could not heal him, (probably because of the father’s unbelief), “if thou canst believe, all things are possible to them that believe.” ().
He later told His disciples, “this kind cometh not out but by prayer and fasting.” (). He did not say it was impossible for them to pray and the child be healed, but (and I believe because of the unbelief of the father) it would require them to do some fasting and praying to get the mind of the Lord.
As mentioned earlier, it is both unwise and wrong to expect God to answer our prayers (or for the ministers to pray the prayer of faith), for us or our children for healing, if we are not willing to measure to the light that God has shown to us! (He may in His mercy grant it sometimes but He is not obligated to do so, and rebellion, like unbelief, will hinder prayers being answered.) Sometimes people want to do with divine healing what some do with salvation. They want to live in sin (fulfill the lust of the flesh), and salvation is something they only turn to when in trouble. But it does not work that way! God knows the heart, and He said He would laugh at their calamity (see ). And it is the same with divine healing. God knows the heart, and He knows if someone is serving Him in sincerity or living a shallow experience. It does not take “Great Faith” to be healed, but like with the widow’s mite, God respects those who seek Him with their whole heart. Once again, this is not something we do out of “duty”, or just because “the church teaches it,” but just like with the rest of the plan of salvation, it must be from a sincere and honest desire to please God, and a deep love and trust in His ability to do what we request!
Perhaps some in their zeal may have unwisely tried to do this in the past, but just as with salvation itself, it is not possible to “require” someone to believe or be saved.
Dear ones, God is love, and that should be the foundation of “All” that we preach and teach! If it is not of love, then it is not of God. My hope and prayer is that God would instill this foundation principle in all of our hearts, because it is the answer to every need among us. When people love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, it is easy for them to not only embrace the Bible truths, but to receive the blessings and approval of God on their lives.
What God wanted in the very beginning is still what He wants today! The Scriptures tell us that God “created man in His own image and likeness”. They also tell us that “God is love”! If “God is love” then that is how He created us! His desire for man in the beginning was that man would love Him with their whole heart! Not only because this love is pure and holy, as He is, but because it is also the way of escape from all that Satan has available to ensnare us with! (See , )
Many years ago, as a young man struggling with all the temptations the enemy was bombarding me with, God showed me this way of escape! He gave me the Scripture () and told me His love was my way of escape! He showed me how the more I love Him the less power the temptations have, but that as my love for Him began to grow cold the temptations would increase in power! (Just as when a person falls deeply in love with someone, the desire for others has no attraction. You can try your best to get them to look at someone else but they have no desire but for the one they are deeply in love with. However, if their love grows cold for that one, then others begin to be more attractive to them. It is the same with spiritual things!)
While I have been afflicted, the Lord brought the thought to me of the end of time, and how that He is still waiting a people who are created “in His image and likeness” right up until the end of time! And who truly love Him with All their hearts! Who, unlike Adam and Eve, will say “No” to the temptations and wiles of Satan, because God’s love is perfected in them! (Dear ones, this is the perfection of beauty in the eyes of God and what His great heart has always longed for!) As I considered these things, my heart cried out to God, “Lord, perfect your image and likeness in me”. While I will have to confess, it is not easy to stay in the furnace, and I do not want to stay there one minute longer than He sees is necessary, my commitment to God has been, Lord, use me as you see fit, and don’t remove me from the furnace one second sooner than you see is required to work out your perfect plan. And while I am in the furnace, mold me and shape me more into your image and likeness! Because I sincerely want to please Him, and to hear Him say, well done my good and faithful servant one day!
As I reflected on this, I thought of the Scripture () …
A Psalm of Asaph. The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence; a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.
When Jesus was here on earth, He said (), …“Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” No doubt He was looking down through time and seeing the challenges that God’s people would face in the last days, among a “wicked and perverse generation”, and His great heart of love yearned to find a people who will live like He intended in the very beginning! A people formed in His image and likeness, with His love so perfected in us that nothing can separate us from His love! Pure gold, that has been tried in the fire, reflecting the glorious image and likeness of our God, unmarred by the works of sin because all the dross has been purged out! If God permits us to go through the furnace of affliction, or through severe trials and temptations, this is His ultimate goal!
May the Lord challenge each one of us, especially as ministers of the Gospel, to attain to this experience, and live so that others can see it fulfilled in our lives. This is my earnest prayer and desire! And when our brother or sister stumbles, or is weak in faith, may we have a heart of love to help lift them up again! Because none of us have made it yet and we need each other more than we may know!
With sincere love, your fellow servant in the gospel, Curtis Williams
2/12/26