Corona Devo 409

As the sun went down that evening, people throughout the village brought sick family members to Jesus. No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one.  ~Luke 4:40

As a child, one of my earliest memories of "prayer" was bringing the name of each person in my family to God at night as I lay in bed. Of course parents and siblings, but also grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins I would list out and ask the Lord to bless. Most nights I fell asleep somewhere in the cousin line-up, but I knew that God covered them, even if I didn't.

It was a humble start to prayer for family and others, and it certainly wasn't specific, but it was something, and the older I get, I think that is what God is looking for in our hearts more than anything. If we will try/attempt/make-an effort: He will take care of the rest.

As the sun went down that evening, people throughout the village brought sick family members to Jesus. No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one.  ~Luke 4:40

There are lots of people and situations to pray for in the world, but our family members often top the list, as they are the closest, they are meaningful, and they are blood.  Yes, all families have ups and downs, but family is forever, and I appreciate God's scriptural reminder to us today to bring our sick family members to Him.  

Sick can be a relative word.  Maybe someone is being crushed today under the weight of Covid or Cancer, and they can't catch up on energy or catch a breath: Lord, we bring this sick family member to You.

But "sick" can also define the family member we have that is crushed today under the weight of something that has nothing to do with a virus, cold, disease or flu. Depression, addiction, fear, low self-esteem and self-deprecation are "sicknesses" that have some of our family members (and some of us) "sick" and unable to catch up on energy or catch a breath.  Heavenly Father and Healer, we pray for Your presence and leading in our loved ones physical and emotional lives.  Bring Your spiritual healing, which lends itself to our emotional and physical well-being.

As the sun went down that evening, people throughout the village brought sick family members to Jesus. No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one.  ~Luke 4:40

In two clean sentences these verses solve the sicknesses and heal the people.   

No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one. (Luke 4:40).  

Are you praying hard for a "sick family member" today?  Really sick, really lost, really handicapped, really dying?

The romance of this idea (and Biblical truth) of Jesus immediately healing them is both intoxicating and adrenaline-inducing.  During His in-person ministry years, one of Jesus' main calling-cards was miraculous healing.  We don't see that hand played nearly as often today.  But I do not think that should minimize our fervancy or faith in bringing sick family members to Jesus. We can ask. We can pray. The rest is up to Him.

I have heard of miracles happening. I have experienced them. Who doesn't know of a story, person, or time when "the doctor's could not explain" the healing, the continuation-of-life, or the recovery. There was no medical explanation, just a spiritual one.

But we have also brought sick family members to Jesus and not received the outcome that we were praying for.

Does that mean the verse is no longer relevant? Jesus healed in-person back then, but doesn't heal today?

I offer the suggestion that we might not fully grasp the understanding of "His healing".

To our simple and instant-gratification-minds, we want the pain to stop now. We don't want to suffer and we want the suffering of sick family members to be healed now.

But what if those prayers are similar (in function) to my childhood prayer listing every person's name in my family before falling asleep. I thought I was doing the "right thing", and I was doing something, but as I have matured in my faith I have learned deeper and more meaningful ways to pray for people and it goes beyond simply reciting their name. What if God's perspective on "healing" is deeper? What if His healing is more meaningful than the quick-fix we are begging for?

My mom had Multiple Sclerosis for 41 years, and I have no memory of her walking on her own. Every birthday for as long as I can remember I made the same birthday wish as I closed my eyes and blew out the candles: that she would be healed. Try as I might, pray as hard as I might, and regardless of how many times in prayer I brought (this) sick family member to Jesus, I never saw the touch of his hand heal her.

But what if those prayers were similar (in function) to my childhood prayer listing every person's name before falling asleep. What if God's perspective on "healing" is deeper? What if His healing is more meaningful than the quick-fix we are begging for?

My mom went home to be with the Lord a couple years ago. My instant-gratification-heart broke and in my grief and sorrow I didn't understand.

But as the Lord has comforted me over time, He has also opened my eyes.

No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one.  ~Luke 4:40

What if God's perspective on "healing" is deeper? What if His healing is more meaningful than the quick-fix we are begging for? What if the quality-of-life (perfection!) that she is experiencing now is better than anything that could have been prayed-into-existence here on earth. The level of "paradise" she resides in now was simply not possible here on earth.

Selfishly, immaturely, and human-naturedly: I still wish she was here. But with my spiritual-eyes I now see that this sick family member that I repeatedly brought before Jesus in prayer has now been healed by the touch of his hand.  (Luke 4:40).

As the sun rises today, and also when it goes down this evening, we should absolutely bring our family members to Jesus. And the rest-of-the-story/the journey/the timing/and the healing are up to Him.

True faith is knowing that whether it is today or one-day-not-so-far-away: No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one.  ~Luke 4:40

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com