Why Didn’t God Heal Me?

Today, I was reminded of Joni Eareckson Tada’s extremely difficult journey. As many know, she has lived as a quadriplegic for the last 60 years. Not only that, but to top it off, she has had cancer twice in the last 10 years.

But why, why did God not heal her 60 years ago? At that time, she pursued the faith healers. She attended healing services. She believed with all her heart that her “faith could move mountains”! So why, why does she still suffer Every. Single. Day!?

Allow me to ask a different question: How do we discern whether someone has, or has not, received healing in the first place? Do we look at them with our eyes? Do we listen to their hearts? What, according to God, equals “being healed”?

“‘The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’ ” (1 Sam 16:7, NLT).

Let’s consider for a moment “why” Jesus healed in the first place when He was here on earth. And then consider “why” His disciples healed afterward. All we must do in order to consider this is to ask, “Why did Jesus come?” Jesus came to defeat the devil (1 Jn 3:8). Jesus came to remove all that stems from evil: “sin and death.” These stem from the work of the enemy. In GOD’S Kingdom, there is no sin, death, or devil. And Jesus came to testify of the Kingdom of God!

Another question: What is the “root” of any type of illness, whether physical, spiritual, or psychological? Sin is the cause of all disease and death. Jesus, through physical healing, was giving a “picture” of the inner reality that He came to remove -sin.

Jesus came to make people HOLY and “sanctify them” for God!

With that:

Recently, when a gentleman approached Joni to ask if he could pray over her for healing from cancer (her first bout, 2015), she did not reject his request, of course! However, she did respond by saying, “While you’re praying, please pray specifically for this: pray my flesh would be crucified, that I’d be more thankful, that I’d get into the Word more, that I would be quick to obey Jesus, that God would be glorified through this, that it would advance the gospel, etc (I’m paraphrasing because I cannot remember her exact words, but this is a good summary).

What did Joni just teach us? She taught us that the healing we truly need, and the healing that God is most concerned with, is the healing of our souls. When we were born again our spirit got “saved.” The rest of our Christian journey is for the purpose that our soul (meaning our person) might get “saved,” or to put it another way, that we would be “sanctified” – “Holy” – “crucified to our flesh.” THIS is God’s way of HEALING. This is the goal of our salvation.

What else has Joni taught us? Well, she taught us that Christ is seen clearer and more perfectly when one of His own suffers “well.” What I mean by “well” is that when our suffering -whatever that may be, is placed into the hands of God, laid at His feet, to be used for His glory, then more people are impacted, lives changed, and Kingdom work advanced far beyond the impact of a “one-time” miraculous healing. If Joni had of been healed in 1967 when her tragic accident happened, how may would have been impacted for the Kingdom of God? Some, and for a while. How may have been impacted through Joni’s ministry due to her suffering over the last 60 years? Countless, plus internationally!

Now, I’m not opposing physical healing, of course, but I am instead advocating that all miraculous healings are “signs” pointing to something much deeper. Physical healing “testifies” to humanity that God’s Kingdom has invaded our world. And that testimony tells us there is deliverance in Christ from the POWER of sin! And when God chooses not to heal us physically, psychologically, emotionally, or in another way that we have continually sought healing for, then we must trust that the healing He is doing through our suffering is deeper, more necessary, farther reaching, and will point both us and others to Christ in a way that our temporary comfort, quick-fix healing could have never accomplished!

Remember:

– “The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”