“Then he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.'” (Luke 8:48)
Like many others dealing with chronic illness, I am particularly fond of Luke’s account of Jesus’ life. As a physician, Luke took a special interest in chronicling Jesus’ interactions with the sick–both in how He showed compassion and in how He healed.
Many of us are familiar with the story in which Jesus is among a crushing crowd of people, and a woman who has been living with an untreatable chronic illness for twelve years has enough faith to know that merely touching her Savior’s cloak will bring her healing. She is healed by her faith.
I don’t know about you, but I have prayed for the healing of my physical body. Others have gathered around me and prayed for my disease to end. And yet, I still live with it.
When this happens to you, do you question if you have enough faith? Do you wonder why God is saying no? In this, I take great comfort in Luke 8:48, for I know that despite the illness that continues to take its toll on my physical body, there are three lessons in this verse that apply to me.
1. I am a child of God. Jesus calls the woman who touches him for healing “daughter.” I am forever in His care and forever on His heart.
2. Faith will heal me. In the case of the woman in the crowd, her faith brought physical healing. But even when God allows me to continue living with my disease, I know that ultimately, my faith in Jesus has spiritually healed an otherwise irreconcilable relationship between my sinful self and my Creator.
There will be no pain, no physical ailments in heaven–and the very reason that I will be able to one day embrace my Savior is because my faith has healed me and allowed me to enter into His presence.
3. Knowing these two things, I can go in peace. When I remember that I am a child of God and that the healing has already taken place, I am able to live in thankfulness.
Prayer: Dear God, when I ask for physical healing that doesn’t immediately come, remind me to have faith that I am a daughter of a King and that Your gift of healing is not only for my body, but also for my soul. I pray that You would help me live a life of peace and be an encouragement to those who need to know of the faith that heals.
About the Author:
Jessica Jondle lives with a rare, genetic disease called cystinosis. She works as a junior high school teacher in California, where she lives with her husband. Her book on the paradoxes of life with genetic disease is available at http://www.rollerskatingwithrickets.com.
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How have you seen healing in your life? If you have not, how do you come to terms with the fact that you may have enough faith, but still are not healed?
Hello Jessica –
Thanks for sharing this devotion, reminding us that as children of God, we can go to Him with our prayers for healing, and He does hear our prayers. However, we do not always get the answers we are asking for, in the exact manner we are asking. Does this mean we do not have enough faith? I personally do not think this is a measure of our faith. Only the Lord knows how and when the answers to our prayers will come. He has the measure of time in His plan for our life. As far as ‘faith’, Hebrews 11:1 tells us that “Faith us the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Therefore, with this in mind, there is hope in continuing to pray in faith believing that He will hear and answer our prayers in His time for our life, as He knows what is best.
My prayers are with you as you face each day in your walk with Him,
Blessings,
Ada
Hi,
Very touching post.Thank you for sharing this beautiful devotional post with us.Jesus is the loving God and His love for us is unconditional.He always hear our prayers.I really appreciate your faith in Jesus.Despite of having such a pain and illness your faith and love for Jesus is really admirable.God has plan for each and every person and he has also plan for you.So just continue your faith in Him he will definitely listen your prayer and you will surely come out of all these your illness.Remember you are the daughter of king and you have all the strength to face this situation.When i visited one youth ministry yorba linda i met one child who face the same situation and i was so impressed when i see his faith and love for Jesus.You both are just amazing.I wish that Jesus will listen your prayer soon…..
God Bless You always,
Emma