The Apostolic faith is based on the belief that signs, miracles, and wonders are as much for today as they were in the day of the Apostles. We hold to this because Mark 16:17-18 tells us signs and wonders will follow those who believe. We also believe that God will often bless those who follow him through various means. This can be seen throughout scripture. But do we really view these blessings in the correct way? Do we truly understand why God blesses us?
It seems we often put heavy emphasis on blessings. At times seeking them more than seeking a relationship with the Father. Is this what the Bible teaches us? In what light does the Bible place blessings?
I began asking these questions recently. Not because I wanted to condemn anyone. Nor was it because I question if God blesses people today. I can point to many blessings in my life as I am sure you can as well. My goal is simply to better understand God and the meaning of His word. Thankfully I feel as though God has allowed me to better understand this subject.
Healing A Few People
Mark 6:5
5 And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them.
While reading, after seeking God’s guidance on this subject, I came to this verse. Of course, I have read it before, but this time it carried a new meaning. The people of Nazareth had no belief in Jesus as the Messiah. So he didn’t perform any miracles while there. Well, He healed a few people.
Wait He just healed some people and that’s not a big work? Today we see healing as the biggest miracle one can receive. But in God’s house, physical healing means nothing if you do not turn from your past and turn to God. Physical healing may give you a few more years of comfort in this world. But what will be waiting for you in the next? Did you receive the spiritual healing that guarantees you an eternity in Heaven?
When Jesus Sighed
Mark 7:32-35
32 A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him, and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him. 33 Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then, spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man’s tongue. 34 Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Be opened!”
As I continued to read through Mark this verse also hit me in a new way. A few words really caused me to stop and think. First, notice that the people begged Jesus to heal the man. Normally when people sought Jesus to heal someone they simply asked. It is not often someone has to beg Jesus for a blessing in the scripture.
Now notice that in verse 34 it says Jesus sighed before commanding the man’s ears to be opened. The Bible does not just record words by chance. They were all placed with purpose. When you take the fact that they had to beg Jesus for a blessing and he sighed before performing the miracle you can see something was off.
I venture to say that Jesus was able to see the motives of these people. They wanted to see this man be healed. Possibly not out of faith, but because it was like watching a magic show. Also, did the man have a remissive heart? Where are they seeking after Jesus because they believed He truly was the Messiah? Or were they just looking for physical healing?
I believe Jesus knew that the healing this man needed was not physical, but spiritual. Jesus would have been able to see if this man would remain in sin. So the healing would carry no greater purpose in his life. Possibly he would never truly know the Lord. Yet, he still was healed because God feels compassion for all people.
Healing Is Biblical
I am not saying that God does not want to heal His people. Healing is very Biblical, but it is often used for a bigger purpose. It is also a way God is able to show us His power over all things. Scripture also teaches that healing is possible and that we should pray to receive it.
James 5:15-16
15 Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. 16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
Luke 9:2
2 Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
Matthew 10:8
8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!
Acts 5:16
16 Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed.
Those are just a few examples of healing from the Bible. You can find many more accounts if you take the time to look. With the amount of healing that takes place in both the Old and New Testament, it is impossible to believe that God does not bless people through healing.
Hidden Purpose in Blessings
1 Corinthians 10:11
11 These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.
In that verse, Paul is referring to those who came before them. The accounts we find in the Old Testament were written down to be an example to us. We should be able to read and take lessons from the scriptures and apply them to our lives. This same concept applies to the New Testament as well. The Bible is meant to help us understand the ways of God and teach us how we should live.
So when we read about the healings and miracles performed by Jesus what do we see? Well, of course, we see amazing things happen that are almost impossible to believe. He feeds thousands of people with a few fish and some loaves of bread. Turns water into wine. Raises Lazareth from the dead. Heals countless people with various conditions.
All these on the surface seem to be quite simple and just a loving God pouring out that love. However, I do not think that is all God was doing. Think about the faith that was formed in the hearts of those who witnessed the miracles of turning water to wine and feeding thousands with just a little food. Or the hearts that were changed when they say Lazareth walked out of that tomb. Those accounts still build faith in hearts today.
Even every healing has a deeper purpose. The woman with the issue of blood shows us to have the faith to reach out and touch Jesus. The Roman officer shows us that it is not the touch of Jesus that heals. But the belief in Jesus’s power and ability to heal. Each and every miracle that you see in the Bible also proves that God truly has all power. He controls all things and truly can change any situation. So do not just focus on the healing or blessing but learn what else comes with it.
Seeing The Purpose In Life
Just like the healings we see in the Bible has a purpose, the healings we see in our lives have a deeper purpose. I have personally seen God heal people, but it is never without a deeper purpose. What that purpose often depends on the situation, but it often goes far deeper than just healing an ailment.
One member of my Church’s congregation was blind. It was common to see him being lead around the building by his wife or someone else. You would never see him without his guide cane in his hand. Well, one service he came back into the church and proved his sight was back. He was able to comment on the color of someone’s tie. Something he would have never been able to do just days before.
Of course, we were all ecstatic to hear the great blessing God had poured out in his life. It would have been easy to assume that God restored his sight because of prayer or fasting. And I am sure that was definitely a part of it. But the story does not end there. This man and his wife were both older and not even a year after receiving his sight his wife passed away.
Really think that over because I find it to be amazing. God restored a man sight before his helpmate was taken from him. He is now able to get around on his own. Which now that she is no longer there to help is so important. Not only that but he was able to spend that last stretch of time with his wife able to see her face. I believe that was simply the mercy and love of God hidden in healing. You cannot forget about the faith this built in many others, like mine, lives.
Purpose Behind No Blessing
We know that healing does not always come, but the purpose can be found in that as well. Take the Apostles Paul’s thorn in the flesh. It is assumed that he is referring to a disease or physical issue. Not a literal thorn sticking out of him. He prayed for God to heal him, but God showed him why it must remain. Because Paul had been given so much it was possible that he might fall into sin by thinking he is better than others. This issue was able to keep Paul grounded and show him he is not better than any other man. Ultimately keeping him from falling to sin.
2 Corinthians 12:7-8
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
The same thing can be said for monetary or material blessings. Yes, God wants His people to prosper. But we also know that God can see all our needs knowing what we can handle and what we can’t. The scripture below gives a good example of how one should pray for monetary blessings. Along with an explanation of why you should pray in that manner.
Proverbs 30:7-9
7 O God, I beg two favors from you;
let me have them before I die.
8 First, help me never to tell a lie.
Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!
Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.
9 For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?”
And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.
God knows all things and is able to use the bad in the world to create good. He turns what we see as curses into blessings. So when your blessing hasn’t come do not get upset. Try to see why God may not want you to receive that specific blessing. The answer may surprise you.
Jesus’s Purpose
First and foremost Jesus came to be the sacrifice for all the world’s sin. So that we should not have to perish but have everlasting life. We all know this and it is told all through the New Testament. But is that all He came to do? No. The Bible records so much more that Jesus did while He was here. He showed the love of God to a generation. He expounded on the teaching of the law. Allowing us to better understand it. And of course, He performed many miracles and healed many people.
Luke 4:18-19
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
19 and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”
In that scripture, Jesus is reading from the book of Isaiah. This was Jesus’s way of telling the people who he was and what he came to do. We thankfully know who Jesus is, but why did He come?. Well in that excerpt we can see that He came to bring the Good News to the poor, release the captives, make the blind to see and free the oppressed.
I take this both in a literal sense and in a figurative one. We know Jesus truly opened the physical eyes of blind people during His ministry. But is that really what it means in this context? What are more important eyes that see the world or eyes that are able to see the things of God? Eyes that are able to see the world please the flesh. While those that can see the things of God pleases the Lord.
Yes, Jesus came to heal people, but not just physically. He came to heal us spiritually. He opened our eyes to the ways of God. Sharing with us God’s plan. Jesus caused us not to just hear God’s word but understand it. He came to take a fallen, broken people and make them whole through a relationship with God.
Matthew 9:10-12
10 Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. 11 But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?” 12 When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.”
The world needed a healer, someone to fix all that had been broken over time. That healer was Jesus Christ. When asked why He was eating with scum(sinners) He compared himself to a doctor. Of course, we can see this is a metaphor, but we have to see that healing is not just physical but spiritual. When you have the new birth experience God begins to spiritually heal you. That was Jesus’s purpose not just take away the pain or bless you with material gain. The focus is on what is hidden on the inside!
Everything Coming Together
While studying this out my wife texted and said she was not feeling well. Of course, it was nothing major, but if you are married you understand that you never want your spouse to feel bad. So I began to pray for her. Asking God to help her feel better and allow her to make it through the rest of her work day. Then it hit me and I thought “wait you are studying to see if we view blessings correctly while asking for a blessing.”
As I thought it over the realization hit me. It is not asking for a blessing that is a problem. In fact, the Bible instructs us to bring all things before the Lord.
Philippians 4:6
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
The motivation behind your prayer is where the problem can lie. Serving God should never depend on if you receive a blessing or healing. That is not the purpose of the scripture. Yes God loves you. Of course, He would rather you did not suffer in any way. But He can see far more than you could ever imagine and He knows everything that comes from providing a blessing. If it was between my salvation and being broke. I would choose to be broke. It is better to die saved than live lost.
Proverbs 15:16
Better to have little, with fear for the LORD, than to have great treasure and inner turmoil.
Adjust Your Focus
It is possible that what you see as a curse. Is, in fact, the blessing that is keeping you in church. So as you move forward don’t just put all your focus on receiving blessings. Instead, work on building your relationship with the Father. Pray when things are going good. Give Him the praise He is worthy of no matter what your situation. Always seek first the Kingdom of God. Everything else should come second.
Matthew 6:33
33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
I pray I have been able to clearly convey my message in this article. Continue to pray and ask God for a blessing. Just be sure that the blessing you are seeking never becomes the focus of your life. We should never allow ourselves to believe that God is more focused on our physical health or worldly wealth than He is about our spiritual health and our Heavenly wealth. If you do receive a blessing be thankful for it and use it to further the Kingdom.
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