Healed

Tom Barnard

 

“I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present or the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

(Romans 8:38, 39 NIV)

 

In a response to one of these weekly epistles a pastor friend wrote to tell me about a woman he heard about who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Her doctors tried everything to defeat the cancer—chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy. The congregation prayed earnestly for her. Nothing seemed to work. Weeks stretched into months, with no signs of healing. Then the woman stood up in church one Sunday and reported that God had healed her. Everyone in the service rejoiced over the unexpected good news.

 

Then the woman explained what she meant. She said that although she had not been healed of cancer, God had given her what she called “a healing of acceptance.” She reported that she had surrendered her cancer to the Lord, and that he had given her a peace of heart and mind that she had not previously known in this matter. The woman eventually passed away, but her testimony about accepting the reality of her death was remembered by members of the church for many years. Her story would be told over and over again, encouraging others who had been tempted to give up on God, to continue to place their trust in Him for their present and future. 

 

My pastor friend concluded, “I have come to understand that whatever life throws at me, the greatest peace comes when I accept God’s will for my life and realize that He always does what is best for me in terms of now and eternity.” 

 

Heavenly Father, another saint passed away this week. You took her Home to be with you, and her absence has left an empty spot in our hearts. I rejoice that she made it safely Home, but she will be sorely missed. We prayed for her healing, and now her healing is perfect and complete. I pray that you will calm my fears about the future. Give me peace to know that what you have planned for me and my loved ones is both good and right. In the strong name of Jesus I pray. Amen.