Ben Fourie

“… I am the LORD, the one who heals you.” Exodus 15:26b (GNB)

What a promise. Do as I have instructed you and you will never fall ill. Of all the gifts anyone can receive, good health is the most precious. Without this gift, even the most prosperous person in the world cannot enjoy all the wealth in the world or the best sports stars cannot reach record heights or win World Cup games. We all want good health, and how we look at life and experience every day, depends largely on our state of health.

From dearly-won experience, we know that perfect health is not what God is promising to Israel and to us. With the coronavirus pandemic still a very big threat to all of us, we realise this is not what is promised. No one is immune to the virus, no one can be sure of staying healthy when millions have contracted it. I have heard and read about people who say they are not afraid of the virus. I envy them their bravery, but I will not deny that I fear the virus, just like I fear getting cancer or developing heart problems. El Rapphai, God who heals us, or keeps us healthy, does not promise that we will never become ill.

What does He promise in His Word? In our passage from Scripture, he promises his chosen nation that he will treat them differently to how he treated the people of Egypt by looking after them every day. In my lifetime, I have been very ill, had some surgical procedures done and our family went through very deep waters when our son-in-law died at a young age. Through all of this, we have experienced that God treated us “differently” by “healing” us no matter what. This does not mean that we did not suffer great physical and emotional pain and loss. We did, but we were sure of His presence every step of the painful path we were travelling.

Prayer: We thank you, Lord, that You make even the most difficult road negotiable by your presence.  Amen