The God Who Heals, Pt. 3

We cannot talk to God in prayer and trust in His plan while at the same time complaining and fussing about how things are not going our way.

The God Who Heals, Pt. 3

"For I am the LORD who heals you."

(Exodus 15:26)

Every time someone calls out to God for healing, God answers. He may not heal in the way we had hoped or expected, but He always does something. Our job is not to figure it all out but to believe that God knows more than we do. When God decides to bless you or help you in a way that is far different than what you had hoped and prayed, will you trust Him, or will you murmur and complain?

In Exodus 15, before God revealed Himself as Jehovah Rophe, He tested His people. The children of Israel, during their time of intense testing, quickly forgot the miraculous deliverance God had granted to them in the Exodus. We are a lot like them. As followers of Jesus who have seen God rescue us from the grip of Satan and take us from death to life, we must remember that the same God who saved us will take care of us, come what may. We know that as a theological truth; however, in times of trials and tribulations, we often forget that God has us in His hands and will work out His plan in our lives.

Exodus 15:24 says the people murmured against Moses. The Hebrew word translated "murmur" is luwn, which means to be obstinate, complain, and hold a grudge against. Moses, like all leaders past and present, experienced the ire and anger of the people when things went badly. Walter Kaiser says this about the troubled Israelites: "The unpalatable waters at Marah made a strong enough impression so as to obliterate the miracles of Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea—or so it appeared." (Expositor's Commentary, p. 24)

Like the Israelites of old, we can tolerate difficulty to a point. It was not until after the bitter waters of Marah that they began to complain. The sight of water offered hope, but their hopes were soon dashed at Marah. Perhaps you can relate. You go through a severe trial of your faith, and then you see a shaft of light at the end of the tunnel of despair, only to realize that the light was not the end of the tunnel but another locomotive of trying circumstances. Then a severe case of spiritual amnesia settles in. You forget all the many times God came through in the past, and you get mad, mean, ugly, even nasty. I have seen it often, but when religious people who have seen God do miracles do not get their way, they get offended. They unleash quite the fury, and in doing so, they reveal how immature they truly are.

Kay Arthur wrote this about the people in our text: "The stench of Egypt was unmistakably discernable when the winds of testing blew." (Lord, I Want to Know You, p. 78)

As you pour out your heart to God in prayer, let me encourage you to trust God when nothing makes sense. You will be tempted sorely to complain and murmur to anyone who will listen. You and I cannot talk to God in prayer and trust in His plan while at the same time complaining and fussing about how things are not going our way. The healing will come. God always comes through. Romans 8:28 is still in Holy Scripture. Hold on. Humble yourself before the Lord and cry out to Him. It is only a matter of time until the breakthrough comes.