By His Stripes We were Healed!

Joshua had been having this cough for quite a while. We have brought him to see a doctor and he has also finished all the medicine. But there was still some phlegm and lingering cough. On Monday he had a bit of runny nose. These few days I was also not feeling well but I kept proclaiming that I was healed. I refused to accept these lying symptoms in my body. I said 'Phlegm, you do not belong to my body. Get out in the Name of Jesus!'

I kept believing that Jesus took all our sicknesses and pain at the Cross and by His stripes we were healed. What He suffered on the Cross we do not have to suffer again. Such is the power of his redemptive work on the Cross, which included more than just salvation of our souls. All its benefits (in Psalm 103) included forgiving us of all our sins, healing us of our sicknesses, redeeming us from the pit,  crowning us with livingkindness, filling our mouths with good things so that our youths are renewed like the eagles.

As the days passed, and we seemed to still have those lying symptoms, it is where the rubber meets the road. It is where my faith is tested. We still partook of the Holy Communion everyday believing and declaring that Jesus' body was broken so that we enjoy good health and healing. Yet the outward circumstances still seem to be contrary to the Word of God. It is often easy to encourage someone else to press on with believing that by His stripes, they were healed.  It can be very trying especially when our own health is affected.

Today after Joshua came back from school, he still had the runny nose. It didn't help that I was not feeling completely well. He said he wanted to see the doctor for his runny nose, I told him maybe when his daddy comes home after work. But I still wanted him to understand what it meant to be healed by Jesus.

I decided to watch 'Passion of the Christ' with Joshua. I will focus on the part when Jesus was scourged. As usual, I was all tears but the reality of seeing Jesus bearing all my sicknesses and pain hit me. My faith was given a boost as I saw how my Savior was beaten. And I thought if I still could not believe I was healed, then my Savior would have suffered in vain. At that moment I was sure that I was healed.

Something amazing happened for Joshua. At one point he walked away to his room. I thought he was going to play his toys but after a while, I decided to check on him. Then I realised he was crying. He was touched by the scene where His Savior was beaten cruelly by the Roman soldiers. At that point I thought wow! He really has a sensitive heart for God and he really responds to Jesus. I asked him why he cried, whether is it about Jesus. He said yes. I knew in my heart that Joshua was also healed. Both of us had an experience when we were not just healed, we were also touched by God's great love for us. What a precious experience!