TELL GOD WHERE IT HURTS . . .
“For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord;…” Jeremiah 30:17
In Jeremiah 30:17, God extends the promise of restoration and healing to those who are in need. Notice in the verse that the concept of being restored is distinguished from that of being healed. I propose that one can be restored but not healed, and that one can be healed but not restored.
Restoration can occur quickly, whereas healing involves a process. In the story of the prodigal son, when the son returned home, even though he was willing to accept the status of a servant, he was immediately restored to his rightful place as a son rather than a servant. The restoration took place immediately after he confessed his wrongdoing to his father. Like the father in the parable, when we confess our sins, God separates our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:10-12). He allows us to be restored into fellowship with Him once again. Although, as believers, we remain in a relationship with God at all times, the practice of sin hinders our fellowship with God, our heavenly Father. For some of us, the necessary healing needed as a result of being separated spiritually may require time, particularly if there’s a battle with guilt and forgiving oneself. Rehabilitation is implied as something intended for the inner man. However, the impact of the occurrence flows outward into the inward. While healing takes place internally and over time is expressed externally. For instance, after taking medicine, its effects begin to occur within the body before the signs of improvement become visible. Psychologically and spiritually, an inner resolution to be made whole ignites the healing process. Even in an age of advanced medical technology, a person’s will to live remains strong in circumstances some refer to as miracles. The phenomenon of healing requires us to desire it and pursue it. In John 5:6, Jesus asks, “Will you be made whole?” The question suggests that we can choose healing or continue in a state where hurt diminishes us. The man was cripple for thirty years, it’s almost impossible to believe one will choose to live in pain for such a long time. Unfortunately, the choice not to be healed is more common than we may think, particularly in regard to spiritual healing. Many have chosen illness over wholeness, which is found in a relationship with God. Like the man in John 5, many have chosen to exist only in close proximity to the healing rather than to receive it.
“When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well?’” John 5:6
Restoration without healing never quietens the hurt, seek God for both, the complete package.”_ASA
Chronicles of ASA 