Sunday's Comin' #309 - Psalm 91: 3,4

Gregg DeMey, Lead Pastor 

Transcript

Gregg DeMey  0:07 

Welcome to Elmhurst CRC's daily dose of the word of God. It's Thursday, February 16, and this is Gregg DeMey - Lead Pastor at ECRC.  This week's Alpha question is, "Does God Heal Today?" Listen to his word from Psalm 91, verses 3 and 4.

Gregg DeMey  0:24 

Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; this faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Gregg DeMey  0:40 

Does god still heal today? Really? Oh, yes, I believe God does. He is a healer. We're going to have healing prayer at this Sunday's worship service. Psalm 91 agrees and uses beautiful words, like: God will, "save and cover us." That God will be a refuge, a shield and a rampart. But how does all this work out practically? Do Christians have lower rates of COVID? Did we? The non-Christians? Do Christians have lower cancer rates, or higher survival rates? Are we more resilient to addictions? It would be amazing if every follower of Jesus was routinely fully-healed, cured, restored and made whole (think how full churches would be!). But, it doesn't seem to work out exactly that way. So what are we able to make of these promises from God? That God will save us from deadly pestilence, cover us, give us refuge, be our shield.

Gregg DeMey  1:39 

First, part of God's healing is preventative care. Literally, God is sparing us all the time from the trouble in us and around us. Personally, it's a wonder how I survived childhood. It is perfectly appropriate to pray thanks to God for his undetected, preventative, preserving power and healing in our life. Secondly, indeed God does heal from disease. I have witnessed answered prayers, I have seen surgeons say, "this is a miracle," with wonder in their eyes. One of the things that Alpha teaches us is that, when nobody prays for healing, no one is healed. But when we pray for healing for everybody, some are healed. Again, we should pray for healing for our needs right here and right now. Thirdly, sometimes our prayers for healing are not answered and this is an invitation for us to pray in a deeper sort-of-way for why God might be allowing it. What other purposes of the Lord might be revealed if we are to bear a particular burden, sickness, illness or even in the dying process. Pray deeper and lean into what God is desiring to do.

Gregg DeMey  2:57 

It is also good for us to remember that the Lord is not on our timeline with God. One day is like 1000 years and 1000 years are like a day, but someday our time-bound perspective will be converted to resemble God's perspective. And then this word of the Lord from Psalm 91, verse 16, will be true of everybody in God's family. Are you ready for this good word?

Gregg DeMey  3:21 

With long life, I will satisfy them and show them my salvation.

Gregg DeMey  3:29  

Let's pray together. God, we thank you for your protection and preventative care. God, we thank you that you are a God who answers prayers that your healing power (through the ministry of Jesus and the spirit) is available right now. And we thank you that even when we are not healed, that you might take us deeper into your presence in your power as we bear these frail mortal bodies and sickness - even as Jesus bore his suffering. And we thank you for the promise that there is a eternal healthy and whole-life waiting for us with you. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.