THE QUESTION OF GOD’S INTEGRITY

The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. Ps 145:17 KJV

“Why didn’t God answer my prayer for healing?” is a question that has been asked more than once.

The often-well-intentioned replies I’ve heard to that inquiry lead only to real questions about God’s integrity or trustworthiness, or the validity of His Word, when you think them through, or meditate upon them. Can God be trusted? Is His word literally true? Or is it a mere collection of men’s thoughts about God and an ancient people of the middle east? How you decide that question will set the foundation, or the lack thereof, for your whole Christian life.

The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. You shall keep them, O Lord, You shall preserve them from this generation forever. Ps 12:6-7 NKJV

Satan’s first words to Eve were ‘Did God REALLY say…?’ (Gen. 3:1) Whenever the integrity of God and His word is attacked, listen! You’ll always hear the hiss of the snake…

God is faithful to His word, and He absolutely will fulfill it, to the minutest detail. I have been astonished so many times when God says He will do something, to see Him fulfill it down to the minute, even to the second, of when He said He would do it. The closer you look at man, the more you see the flaws. The closer you look at Him, the more you see His perfection. Holy! Holy! Holy is the Lord God almighty!

Let’s tackle the subject of the integrity of God regarding healing.

When it comes to healing, everything revolves around Messiah Yeshua – Christ Jesus – and His finished work on the cross. Isaiah speaks prophetically, in the classical sense, that ‘by His stripes, we are healed.’(Is.53:5). Matthew, in quoting Isaiah, speaks the same way, saying that Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy, “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.” (Matt 8:17-18 NKJV). With Isaiah speaking in the perfect or future tense, and Matthew is speaking in the present perfect tense, both describe Messiah’s work as accomplished now, in the present.

But when it gets to Peter, it gets real interesting because he describes, in looking back at the cross, Messiahs work of healing for you and I as being in the past tense.

…who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness — by whose stripes you were healed. 1 Peter 2:24 NKJV

From God’s perspective, just like salvation, it’s already done. When people say, ‘God, why didn’t You heal me?’ His reply is, ‘dear one, I already have! You simply need to come by and pick it up.’ Talk about good news!

We talk about faith for healing, which is accurate, but I would like to describe it in a different way – connection. When you connect with God in prayer regarding your healing or whatever it may be, you always find it waiting for you. I’ve been privileged to be a part of all kinds of healings – from incurable diseases right up to and including the resurrection of a young boy – and the great characteristic in all of them is that someone made a very specific connection with the living God.

….she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” Mark 5:27-28 NKJV

She made a very specific connection. Do you see it? Recently, I heard the story of a dear one who was healed of a very serious neurological form of lyme disease. She had gotten a prophetic word, a year before, that she recorded that said she would be healed on that very calendar date, the day of her healing. She had made a very specific connection with God and, of course, it came to pass.

Lake said that the key to a religious meeting is that it enables a person to open their heart to God. The key in a healing meeting is to so position people that they are in a place where they can make a connection with God. Do you see why we are instructed to lay on hands? Connection. In India, at least in the past, people were taught that they would get healed if the foreign preacher laid hands on them. I could lay hands on someone and say, Giants win the World Series! and they would get healed. Why? Because its not about religious words or acts, but one thing…connection.

He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Ps 107:20 NKJV

Now, we’ve established the integrity of God regarding healing, and we’ve seen that the key is connection. So, how do we make that connection? First of all, and please let me say this as kindly as possible, I would challenge you not to blame others, or your circumstances, or God if you have, because when you blame others, you shift authority over your life to them, making yourself helpless. Kindly let me suggest to repent of that, and starting moving toward making connection!

Whatever you have to do – and remember that doctors and medicines and therapies can all help, or not – your key is to make connection with the living God. You may be like those Indians who have to go to a foreign preacher, which is fine. But whatever it is…do it!

Be still, and know that I am God…Ps 46:10 NKJV

God will meet you in the place of stillness, of quiet humility. In that place of ultimate surrender, when you have laid all your burdens down, that is where you will find Him. Reading the word and praying in tongues much can help you, but ultimately it must be the Holy Spirit who brings you there, enabling you to receive from the Father. He has it all for you. He really, really loves you! He’s waiting for you there right now…why not go and see Him? Just go get it from Him, and let the question of God’s integrity be settled for all time. Love you!

Remember dear ones, we must be about our Father’s business…