TODAY’S DEVOTION (FRIDAY 22ND DECEMBER 2023)
“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.” Isaiah 53:5 AMPC
WELCOME TO THE 356TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF SIGNS AND WONDERS.
Glory be to the LORD God for giving us another day. Most of us do not deserve it, but His mercies made it possible for us to be alive and well.
Talking about wellness, yesterday we began a devotional talk on the wellness of our bodies, our health. We did promise that we will be sharing more about that today. I hope we are ready!
To start with, I want to state that there are three states that a man’s health can be. In other words, there are three types of health status. Your health status, as you read this, fits one of these types. You are either unhealthy, naturally healthy, or supernaturally healthy. There is no middle ground.
Supernatural health is what we call divine health.
Divine health is God’s way of having us have a foretaste of the immortality He has prepared in our future. We closed yesterday’s word with a Bible prophecy about the future of the health of the righteous; a future prepared for us in Christ Jesus.
However, that is the future; and as we all wait and strive for it, we need to know what is there in store for us in the present. In other words, what is God’s immediate plan for our health while we live in our present finite bodies?
Well, that is what we will be looking at today.
From Biblical point of view, God’s present health plan for us is in two folds. It depends on our health status. His plan for the sick is different from His plan for the healthy. His plan for the naturally healthy is different from His plan for the supernaturally healthy.
The plan of God for the sick is divine healing.
What is divine healing? Divine healing is the restoration of a sick body to wellness (by God), through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the restoration of your health through the direct intervention of God.
The healing of the leprosy of Naaman (by the demonstration of the shadow of how God cure a life of sin by the power of the Holy Spirit, through the seven classes of eternal life) was divine. It was not natural or medical.
NONE OF THAT WOULD HAVE WORKED.
Divine healing, most times, comes to help us through when we are stuck with a disease or an illness that has defiled all natural and medical care, especially those created by the spirits of infirmities.
Divine healing is what gives efficacy to medical or natural health care. It cannot be hindered by a desire for medical care. Understand that medical care is not a sin, neither is it a sign of lack of faith.
So, proper medical care should not be neglected during the healing process of anyone, no matter the cause of the diseases. We combine medical care and prayers to bring healing to our sick bodies.
It is very important to note that, when someone become sick, or diseased due to natural causes or age, proper medical care with prayer can bring healing. I have seen instances where even prayer alone brings divine health. But let me take you further.
God’s plan for the sick is divine healing, by the power of His Holy Spirit, but His plan for the healthy is divine health.
For us to move into divine health, the grace of God must go active in our lives. It must go active to restore health to the sick and keep the healthy, supernaturally, or divinely healthy.
There are things that allows the grace of God in our lives, to go active and restore a man back to God’s original health condition for mankind. The first lies in the story I want to share.
Many years ago, during my secondary school days I was taught, what many of us know today as “division of labor” by my Business Management Teacher. It was a new concept to my young mind, and I started sharing responsibilities in our little home.
I also started withdrawing from things that were not my responsibility.
Life became easier and the pressure of making sure things were okay at home before mum or dad returns was lifted. Division of labour was applied in doing the house Chores, and every other thing that needed to be completed before evening.
I APPLIED THE PRINCIPLE DILIGENTLY.
It became better as I grew older. But little did I know that it is more of a kingdom concept than a secular-success principle.
When I embraced the call of God upon my life, I realized that division of labour was not just a business management philosophy, but a mystery of the Kingdom. In every miracle that the grace of God in Jesus Christ performed in the Bible, there was division of labour; including Healing miracles.
When ten lepers were cleansed, there was division of labor.
Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priest, and the Bible says as they went, they were healed. Going was their part, healing was God’s part. They did their part, and God did His part. Here is how the Bible told the story;
“Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.” Luke 17:11-14 NKJV
The lepers were cleansed when they did their part – they went as they were asked to do.
One thing we should know is this, in Bible days, you do not show yourself to the priest for examination, unless you are sure you have been healed. God healed them in the Spirit, and as they took responsibility to do their part by obeying Jesus, what was done in the Spirit realm was unlocked upon their lives.
This principle can be seen in the healing of every other person in scripture.
There was always something to do for God to act. But the story of Lazarus is more profound. This man was not just sick, but he died and was buried for four days.
WHEN HE WAS SICK, JESUS NEVER WENT TO PRAY FOR HIM, BUT WHEN HE DIED JESUS CAME. THAT IS A MYSTERY!
If God delays coming into your life with a much-needed miracle, it’s a sign that when He finally comes, it will be extremely glorious. In other words, if God seems to be coming late in your life, it’s a sign that He is coming big!
However, do not forget, like in the case of Lazarus, when He finally comes, there will be division of labour; you will have your part to play, and God will have His own part to play.
This was depicted in the instruction Jesus gave when He got to the grave of Lazarus. He instructed them to roll away the stone.
Now, the people’s part was to roll away the stone, God’s part was to raise the man from the dead. The people did their part and God did His part. The Bible says, Jesus asked them to roll away the stone covering the entrance to the grave. They did that and God’s grace went active to raise Him from the dead.
One Healing secret we can glean from here is; “If you need divine healing or health, sense your part and do it. When you do your part, God’s grace will be made active to do His part.”
You may ask, “Pastor what is my part?” If I give you the answer, it means I have become the Holy Spirit.
I don’t know your part, but I know it exist. That is the stone to roll away for God’s grace to move in your life and restore back your health. It is not a carnal act, it is a Spirit led act, that will turn things around and set you free.
Our devotional text today says,
“the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole”.
The text made it clear that Jesus’ death on the cross took away our sicknesses and diseases – spirit, soul and body. That is God’s grace for you. And division of labor is one of the many principles of the kingdom that will actualize it in your life.
It is actually improper for someone to have in his body, what Jesus took away and nailed to the cross. If only we will discern what it is and take away the stone, grace will bring us out of the grave of sicknesses and diseases like it brought Lazarus from the grave of premature death.
May the LORD use these truths to give us an inheritance among they that are sanctified!
MAKE THIS SCRIPTURE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY
“And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Acts 16:30 NKJV