It is common to see and hear healing and miracles happening in missions field, especially third world countries. Yet it is often difficult to see them in Singapore. This is a mindset that hinders us from going after healing and miracles persistently in the nation of Singapore. Yet we almost forget that situations and experiences do not alter the truth found in the word of God. Instead, we should align our situations and experiences to the truth. If we don't see it, we have to press on until we see the truth manifested in reality. Afterall, God is the same whether in India, China, Myanmar, Indonesia or Singapore.
After I prayed for this friend for a couple of times, I had to stop because our next session was going to begin. I told him, "God always wants to heal. Jesus showed it clearly in Scriptures. So the problem doesn't lie with God that you are not hearing now. The problem also doesn't lie with you. The problem lies with me. I'm sorry that I'm not walking in the power that I'm supposed to be walking."
He said kind words to me, for fear that I would blame myself. But I told him that I won't blame myself. It drives me to press on more.
During worship this morning, I saw a few people with hearing impairment worshiping the Lord joyfully. I was deeply touched but angered at the same time. I was touched by their genuine desire and love for God. But I was angry at the devil for stealing away what they are supposed to have - their hearing.
Jesus' compassion for people was always matched by His anger against the devil. Each time when He had compassion, He would do something to change the situation of the person, i.e. heal the sick, raise the dead, feed the hungry, etc.
John 11:33 - Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.
The word "groaned" is actually "to be moved with anger." Jesus was angry at the devil who stole life away from Lazarus.
I was thinking about these people who got so used to their hearing problem that they have accepted it as part of their life. They might have lost hope to be healed, which is what the devil wants.
This friend told me, "I was born like this. Doctor already removed the nerve from my ears. It is impossible for God."
I am supposed to stand in faith for a sick person. It is hard for a sick person to stand in faith for himself. The one who is praying has to stand in faith.
So when I fail to see the breakthrough, I have to acknowledge and apologise that I don't have enough faith.
I was reflecting and asking God again this afternoon. When the disciples failed to cast out the demon, they went back to Jesus. When I didn't see hearing breakthrough, it would only be wise for me to go back to Jesus. Only He has the answer to my question.
He taught me a valuable lesson.
In Matthew 17, when the disciples couldn't cast out the demon, Jesus said, "Because of your little faith... if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you."
In verse 21, He added, "This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." This is weird because Jesus did not fast or pray when He cast out the demon in this incident.
What Jesus was teaching is this - "You got to have a lifestyle of intimacy and relationship with God. It is out of that lifestyle that faith is born." Faith is always relational. We can't increase our faith by ourselves. We can't increase our faith by situations. We can only increase our faith by relationship with Jesus. Because faith is always a natural response to His grace. The more we perceive His grace and goodness, the more we receive faith. Faith is a gift.
The apostles asked the Lord in Luke 17:5 - "Increase our faith!" Jesus answered them with the same words that He used in Matthew 17:20 - "if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you."
The disciples couldn't cast out demon because of their little faith. If they want to increase their faith, they have to build a lifestyle of intimacy with God such that they have deeper revelations of His grace and goodness. Then faith will simply be a natural response. It is a gift.
I asked God why I didn't see my friend healed from his hearing impairment. He said, "Because you didn't have enough faith." It then dawned on me that faith is beyond feelings. Sometimes, I felt that I had faith to see healing taking place. I was confident. But I didn't see results. The result actually reveals something - I don't have enough faith.
Faith is not a matter of feeling. It is not a matter of whether I see manifestations or not. Faith is not about sight. Faith is "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Heb 11:1)
James 2:17 says that faith always produces works. In other words, if I don't see result, I don't have faith for that problem. Period. If I have faith for that problem, I will see the result.
If we set our mind on below, we will get very discouraged on hearing this.
But if we set our mind on above, this is good news! When I don't see someone healed, God is calling me back into the place of intimacy and relationship. God wants to grow my faith as I see His grace and goodness more and more. He wants me to seek Him, trust Him and depend on Him. The ultimate goal is still my relationship with Him. And that's why I don't see complete healing for all kinds of sicknesses and diseases for now. If I do, I will stop pursuing my relationship with Him.
Jesus is summoning me into the secret place of intimacy.
No comments:
Post a Comment