Health & Fitness

I Am Healed
by Michelle Detwiler

I prayed, and I have faith. So, am I healed? I can walk in my faith with God and state that He has healed me. And if I have enough faith I should be able to stop taking my medications. Right? After all, God is healing me. And since He has healed me I don't need to take my medications any more. Wouldn't that show God how much faith I have?

What would you do? I think the most reasonable answer to give would be, "If your symptoms aren't gone, then you probably shouldn't stop taking your medications." 

Wait, what do you mean? Does God heal, or doesn't He?

Yes, God heals. I've seen His work first hand. 

At the age of three, and being in a hurry to get into the car, my young son was fighting with his older brother about who would sit in what seat. As quick as a wink the car door was slammed, and his little hand was stuck in the hinge side of the closed door. We opened the door and his fingers turned black and blue immediately. As he screamed I ran for the ice. Both middle fingers were already swelling and I just knew that the knuckles were probably broken. But no cajoling allowed me to hold the ice on his hand. He just screamed and held the swelling fingers. Picking him up, I cuddled him, and prayed for him. Then I told God how thankful I was for taking care of my little son and making him better. 

After strapping him into the seat, the twenty-minute ride to Grandma's house was fairly quiet. I was really worried that by the time we reached our destination his hand would be severely swollen. I knew that he would likely be in greater pain than he had been at the time of injury. The hospital was only a couple of miles away from Grandma's house. We could go there right away if we needed to.

Grandma met us in the driveway. I jumped out of the car and began to relate to her the event that led to the damage of our little son's hand. I reached to show her the bruised and swollen appendage. I must have grabbed the wrong hand for the right one didn't have a mark on it. As I reached for the left-hand reality swept over me like a wave. It was also blemish free. There were no black and blue marks, no swelling, and no pain! Both hands were still small, and pink, and worked as perfectly as any three-year-old could work them.

What a miracle! I was happy, and astounded that had God heard my prayer and chose to heal my little son's hand. I have to say that I was mostly astounded because I had been praying for this same little son to be healed of the genetic liver disease that he was born with. Maybe God had healed him of that affliction at the same time? 

I had prayed for him regularly. Now, after the fingers had been crushed, I knew absolutely, and without a doubt that God could heal. I saw it. I have faith, and my son has faith. So, should I stop the daily treatment regime for the liver disease? Wouldn't this show God how much faith I have?

Luke 5:12-14 tells us that Jesus healed a man of leprosy. He told the man not to tell anyone, but to go show himself to the priest. Why did he do this? In those days priests were trained to look for diseases. If a disease spread it could wipe out a whole family, clan, and tribe. Priests were also trained to see when a disease was gone so that no one would be separated from the camp needlessly.

So, if I take a lesson from this story, and before I stop the treatment regime, I need to talk to the doctors. They need to look at my son, and test his blood, and tell me that his liver is functioning normally. Then and only when the doctor says it's okay should he ever stop his treatment regime.

My father lived with diabetes for many years. He had faith that God would heal him. Many times he told us that God had healed him. His blood sugar was stable, and so he would stop taking his medication. Should he have done this? It is my opinion that the doctors would have seen his blood work looking perfect, and then told him he was cured. 

I don't believe that God would play a trick on him, healing him, and then giving him diabetes again. And truly my father was never cured. Was it because he didn't have faith? Probably not, but I don't know why he wasn't healed. However, I do know that when he stopped taking his medications, there were repercussions. The diabetes got worse, and he began to have other complications. 

Eventually my father had many little strokes. He had stopped taking his medication quite a bit, telling everyone that God had healed him. Maybe he thought that he had to stop taking his medications to show God that he had enough faith? I don't really know. However, when God heals, He heals! The doctors will know it, and you will know it.

Paul, the great apostle and one who knew so much about our Lord, had some sort of affliction that he was not healed of. Luke, the "Beloved Physician", was probably attending to Paul at the time that the letter to the Colossians was written (Col. 4:14). Does this mean Paul did not have enough faith to be healed? No! Paul asked the Lord three times to take the infirmities, but the Lord told him that he was not going to take it away. (II Cor. 12: 7-10) 

So, when you ask yourself, "Am I healed?" Remember that God does not make mistakes. There will be evidence of the healing. You will be changed. You will see it, and taking your medicine won't keep you from staying well. Go to your doctor and talk to him or her. Ask your doctor to check you. God is not going to keep your healing a secret! 

About the Author

Michelle Detwiler lives with her family in rural Washington State. She is the mother of two sons, and a daughter. Although she was trained as a medical assistant, and then worked in electronics for ten years, her heart has always been to work with disabled children. After her younger son was diagnosed with a rare genetic liver disorder in 1984, she became involved in caring for other medically fragile infants and young children. The year 1995 brought a special gift to the household and in 1998 they saw the completion of the adoption of their medically fragile daughter. The Detwiler's continue to provide foster care for medically fragile infants. They take one baby at a time, caring for, praying for, and feeling totally blessed by the Lord as they provide His love to these special little children.