Why Aren't All Healed?

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   But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. (Is. 53:5, NASB)

   I believe in supernatural healing. Period. The Bible tells us that God is the God who heals. (Ex. 15:26) He was healing people in the OT, Jesus and his followers healed in the NT, and countless testimonies of a Divine touch from God have been recorded through history. In addition, I have, with my own eyes, seen men and women supernaturally healed. However, there is a reality that we must face: Every person for whom we pray for healing will not be healed, at least in the manner we were expecting.

   As a pastor I have been asked this question many times. The exact words are different, but the question is still the same. The answer is not a simple one and, quite frankly, there are some very poor reasons that well-meaning believers often cite that cause great harm to those who have not been healed. Some have cited sin or demonic influence as potential reasons, but our first and main source to discover the answer(s) to this question must be the Bible. Any other answer will be secondary at best. I want to share several possible reasons that I have discovered that the Bible reveals concerning those that all aren't healed.

(1) Unbelief / lack of faith
   I have heard many Christians through the years point a finger at those who have not been healed, declaring, "It must be your lack of  faith." It is true, the Bible is very clear that unbelief (James 1:6-8) or a lack of faith (Mk. 6:5-6) can both come into play. But the issue of faith has a whole other aspect. Jesus healed the quadriplegic based upon the faith of the man's friends,  not the quadriplegic himself. (Mk. 9:2) Several others in Scripture were healed based upon the faith of friends and family. We need to be very careful in rebuking others for their lack of faith. For the Bible clearly informs us that our own faith, or lack of it, can be the difference in another's healing.

(2) Individual desire
   Jesus asked the question, "What do you want me to do for you?" (Lk. 18:14)  No doubt, many who are seeking healing have sought God for it, but some have yet to ask Jesus to heal them. James tells us that we "have not because you ask not." (James 4:2). I wonder how much more supernatural healing we might see if only God's people would ask their LORD directly? Sometimes the only thing that may stand in the way of our healing is our own desire for it.

(3) God's timing
     One particular man in Scripture had been ill for many years. The disciples passed by the man born blind when one asked Jesus, "...Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" (Jn. 9:2). Jesus's answer was powerful, "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him." (Jn. 9:3) We do not know how many times this man had asked to be healed, but his healing did not come until the fulness of God's time. Also, consider the account of Lazarus. Jesus was four days late, but not really. (Jn. 11:17) When we ask for healing, we have a timeline usually set in our minds. However, God works in His time, which is not always (perhaps seldom) in our time table. Just because healing has not come yet does not mean that it is not coming.

(4) God's sovereignty
   We must remember that there is only one God, and we are not Him. Scripture gives us certain promises upon which we can stand in faith, but we still do not get to tell God what He must do. He alone is God. The Bible is clear that God chooses to partner with faith, but we cannot "will" God into healing just because we want Him to. The truth is that, unless the rapture happens first, we all ultimately are going to die. Although we do not always think of it in this way, the truth is that, "God uses death to transport us into eternity."(DeWayne Wright)The LORD told Adam that he would return to the dust from where he came. For the Christian, death is the ultimate healing.

The bottom line is this: we are to pray and believe, and leave the results to God. Paul tells us that once we make our requests known to God--in true faith--the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds. (Phil. 4: 6-7) Amazingly, Paul does not even address the issue of answers to the requests we make. Take it to Jesus, and leave it there. There is a certain peace that comes when we realize that Jesus is God, and not we ourselves. 

   



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