Unbound: Releasing God’s Healing

Exodus 15:22-27

Introduction

In Greek mythology, there is a story of a woman named Pandora who opened a box filled with all kinds of evils, and trouble and misery, unleashing them upon the world. This box was given to her by the god Zeus to punish humanity. While this fable certainly provides a childlike understanding of evil entering the world, Scripture gives us the full truth. From the word of God, we know that evil entered the picture when Adam and Eve sinned, the first act of human rebellion against the one, true God; sometimes it may seem like trouble surrounds us, but we know where to find hope and healing. God is Jehovah Rapha, the source of health and healing for His people who trust and follow Him.

We need divine healing because of the effects of sin in the world. One of those effects is sickness. Sickness comes because sin leads to decay, both in the atmosphere and in our lives. But God desires divine healing for His people, and it results from His power and provision. Divine healing is also needed because of God’s judgment. In Scripture, one of the ways God judges is by allowing Satan to bring disease and illness without interfering. God can choose to use illness for His Kingdom purposes. Even if He does not cause it, He can use it to bring about spiritual growth for His people, to increase our trust in Him, or to take us home to be with Him. When God chooses to heal, He may heal directly and sovereignly or through natural resources such as medicine or doctors.

There are conditions to being positioned for divine healing. The first is prayer. When we pray, we invite God to intervene in our sickness. The second is obedience. When we obey, we get in sync with God relationally, which puts us in the proper place to receive answered prayers from God. One way we can be obedient is by caring for our body, the temple of God because health is important to Him. Third, God responds when we minister to others because we position ourselves for God to help us and heal us when we need it. We can participate in God’s Kingdom purposes by assisting others so we need to be aware of those God-given opportunities to serve.

Getting Started

1. What stories from other cultures and religions remind you of stories in the Bible?
2. What have you heard people say about where evil originated? What is the most common view?

Let’s Get Personal

1. What have been some of the effects of sin in your life?
2. Can you describe a time God used sickness in your life or the life of a family member for His Kingdom purposes?
3. How do you see divine healing differently after hearing this message?

Take the Next Step

1. How can prayer and obedience to God help you position yourself for divine healing?
2. If you have a story of how you have experienced divine healing, write it down and share it with someone this week. If you do not, write down your understanding of how sin leads to decay and why we need God’s healing, and share that with someone this week.
3. Want to go deeper? Take time to look at the following passages: Exodus 15:22-27; Psalm 103:1-3; Deuteronomy 32:39; 2 Kings 20:1-11; 2 Chronicles 16:12-13; Exodus 4:11; John 9:1; John 9:32-33; 1 Samuel 1:1-20; 1 Corinthians 11:27-31; Deuteronomy 28:20-22; Jeremiah 30:17; Isaiah 1:5-6; Jeremiah 8:22; 2 Kings 5:1-14; James 5:13-16; Isaiah 53:5; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; 2 John 1:2.

Renew Your Mind

“And He said, ‘If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer.’”

Exodus 15:26