What If God Doesn’t Heal

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. – Psalm 23:4

Have you been there before - grappling with an illness and praying sincerely for healing, yet somehow the breakthrough does not come? You have tried everything possible but medicine has reached its limits. You pray even harder, but nothing improves. Worse still, God remains silent.

You begin to struggle with doubt. How can a loving God allow bad things to happen to a good person? Why doesn't God fix this? Where is His justice? What about His mercy?

The temptation is to believe that the good works we do for God would bring about the favour of God into our lives. We start to presume that we are entitled to His blessings because of our good behaviour. When healing does not come, we conclude that God is unfair.

The truth is that God does not owe us anything for what we have done or not done. We are all sinners saved by grace and not by works. Death and the physical decline of our bodies is the inescapable consequence of the fall of man. For God makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:45).

When things fall apart, they may actually be falling into place. God may not answer us or fix things the way we want Him to, but He can rearrange the broken pieces such that our lives may be realigned with His will. He gives us sufficient grace to persevere through the trial.

Beyond physical healing, God desires to mend my broken relationship with Him. He wants me to know that He is still holding on to me when I cannot hang on anymore. I may not be able to see or understand things from His perspective, but His assurance is that He will never leave me. In the valley of the shadow of death, He is with me. He may not extract me from that valley, but His rod and staff will comfort me.

In my mess, may I learn His message for me. In my crisis, may I truly encounter who Christ is. Even if healing has yet to come, may I trust that God will somehow work all things together for good, for His glory.