Text: Jeremiah 8:19 – 22, Genesis 37:25, Jeremiah 46:11.
The inflexibility of humans is the reason they suffer different predicaments, and though God is ever willing to be a Father indeed to us, we care less of that, forsaking the things that pertain to our peace, thus suffering. Believers are beaten down with great injuries, battered here and there giving reasons for questioning, “Is there no balm in Gilead, are there no physicians, why are God’s people suffering?
In the Old Testament, we read of balm in Gilead. The balm is an ointment used to heal and soothe the skin, and Gilead is the place where the balm is gotten for healing. A physician is a specially trained person that knows what your sickness is and what to prescribe for you. In the New Testament, the church of God is the place where God meets with you for healing, the balm is His word and the physicians are the true servant of God trained by the Holy Spirit to diagnose our ailments and prescribe the necessary healing.
In the natural, we know that abuse of drugs is taking drugs without a doctor’s prescription. Anyone sick would desire to heal and therefore would not go to a quack doctor, and you also want to be sure the drugs prescribed to you would work for your healing. You can’t get results by taking another medication for a different ailment, instead, it doubles your problem. Spiritually, you cannot be sick, get a different drug and you expect to be healed. Let’s check the various tendencies around sickness and healing and how it is in relation to our spiritual life:
- When you’re sick, the first thing is a diagnosis. If you are not properly diagnosed, there can’t be a way out of your sickness. Come to think of going to a man who is not a trained medical practitioner, and he diagnoses something different in you, has he not caused you more trouble? We have lots of seminary-trained pastors who know nothing more than letters and rhythms, taking your life to such people will only ruin your life the more. A Christian does not know how many Gods he is serving because that’s what he’s been fed with. What you eat will determine how you will live. You cannot live a quality spiritual life under falsehood and wrong doctrines. When you reject a God-given physician’s instruction, you forfeit your healing.
- After diagnosis, the next thing is prescription: the problem really is that we are trying to be smart, neglecting the prescribed drugs. Have you a child who is sick and instead of using his drugs, throws them away, he is not doing anyone but himself. People suffer because they have no love for truth, they don’t want to receive the word of God, yet want to heal. Natural sicknesses kill truly, but the greatest sickness that kills is sin, and guess what, there is no drug to cure you of sin, the solution is in surrendering to the word of God. You can’t pray yourself out of sins whilst neglecting the word of God. The only way you can have success is by accepting the word of God. Are you taking your pills, rightly? Are you even taking the right pills? To have good success is to do according to the word of God. Whilst people are rejecting the word of God, despising their healing, and living a life of bondage, here’s is what the scripture says regarding those who accept Him: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”
- It’s okay you’ve been diagnosed, it’s okay the physician has prescribed your drugs, but you have to take the responsibility to use the drugs as prescribed. Spiritual healing doesn’t come by taking too many different drugs, only the ‘balm’ in ‘Gilead’ can heal you. When the people desired spiritual healing in the upper room, Peter told them: “Repent and be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. You cannot boycott your way to having the Holy Spirit. Follow that instruction strictly and you will see the result -healing! God does not have an alternative, only His word. The condition of the churches today is because she has refused to apply the balm. The balm is available, the physicians are available, but people love darkness.
You must be desirous of that balm in Gilead to experience spiritual wholesomeness. And that means you have to go all the way to Gilead (the presence of the Lord), regardless of what it’s going to cost you, and your request is one -the balm that can soothe for your healing (the pure word of God). As you meditate on it day and night, you avail yourself of good success