Exodus 23:25 And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.
This passage of scripture contains a promise of healing, given to all those who trust in, and cooperate with God in the issue of healthy living. It is not the will of God that His people be sickly or feeble, for the gospel message presents to us the more abundant life, and according to the Bible, God's desire for us is that we prosper and be in health, which also includes spiritual, physical, and temporal prosperity and health. Let's read:
3rd John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Now it is true that we must cooperate with God by putting into practice the knowledge we possess pertaining to healthful living, for we cannot reasonably expect God to do for us that which we can do for ourselves. For instance, we now know that many sicknesses come about as a direct result of our immune systems being compromised, and therefore we should do all within our power to eat healthily, exercise regularly, and get sufficient rest so that our bodies can be renewed on a daily basis.
However there are instances when even these efforts are insufficient to ward of certain deadly viruses or diseases. In such cases our extremity is God's opportunity, and if we pray and ask Him for healing, He will respond in a manner that is for our best good and that His name might be honored.
Avery good example of this took place when king Hezekiah became terminally ill, and none of his efforts at finding a cure were successful. In his desperation he prayed , and true to His promise, God responded in the positive by showing him the correct remedy. The medication was applied and through God's omnipotent power, Hezekiah was restored to full health. Let's read:
2nd Kings 20:1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. 2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying, 3 I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. 4 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. 7 And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.
This experience contains critically important lessons for us who are living in the 21st century, facing a host of zoonotic, respiratory, viral, and bacterial infections and diseases. We are to utilize all God-ordained natural remedies, in addition to taking preemptive steps to avoid sickness, while praying and trusting to God for His healing touch. The same God who healed Hezekiah will do the same for you and me if we live in harmony with the instructions given us for healthy living. We therefore end with a text that reminds us that God is not only interested in the spiritual aspect of our lives, but also in our physical well-being too. Let's read:
Psalms 103:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
May the blessings of health be bestowed on all those who put their trust in God, for He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. "Good night" and God bless!