Passage to Ponder: Exodus 15:22-27
“If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the LORD who heals you.”
-Exodus 15:26 (NLT)
Each of these daily devotions have thus far addressed personal spiritual issues dealing with how you can have encouragement from the Lord and be an encouragement to others during the pandemic. Today’s devotional is going to be different. I am challenging you to spend some time in what is known as intercessory prayer—that is interceding before God on the behalf of others. You are commanded to do this in the Scriptures. “Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18 HCSB).
There are some people who are in critical need of your prayers, your interceding on their behalf before God. These heroes are standing between you and the coronavirus. These warriors are putting themselves in the heart of the storm to save lives. I am, of course, talking about all those who work in the health care system—doctors, nurses, administrators, janitors, maintenance workers…anyone who is at the battle front every day in hospitals, clinics, and doctors’ offices. You and I personally know some of these amazing people. Maybe your spouse, parent, sibling, cousin, niece, or nephew is a health care worker. Some of you reading may be one of these heroes.
As you pray for these dear ones, claim the promises of God on their behalf. One of my favorite names for God is found in Exodus 15:26. In our English Bibles you will read where God says, “I am the LORD who heals you.” A literal translation from the Hebrew is this: “I am Jehovah-Rapha.” All the titles for God in His word reveal a compelling aspect of His character and nature. When God calls Himself Jehovah-Rapha, He is telling you that He is the Ultimate Healer. Jesus demonstrated this repeatedly in His earthly ministry. There is no disease that God cannot heal.
A comprehensive reading of the Word of God will reveal to you that there are basically three reasons illness and disease enter into a life. First, it is because of sin. All of us born in Adam are now mortal because mankind has fallen in original sin (Romans 5). To compound that, your personal sins can bring more disease and disaster into your life. The second reason God allows illness in your life is to bring you to eternal glory. Your days are numbered, and God has a time for you to stand before Him in the eternal. The third reason is key to intercession. It is so He will get glory—that there would be no doubt that God is real and that we need Him! God has used plagues many times to turn people back to Him. In John 9 Jesus encountered a man born blind. Jesus was asked whose sin caused his blindness…his parents, or, had he done something before he was born that caused it? Jesus answered it was neither. Jesus said this man was blind so that God would receive the glory when he was healed and people would know that Jesus was the Savior, the Son of God. Then Jesus healed the man!
As you pray for health care warriors, claim the promise of God that He is Jehovah-Rapha. Pray for their protection in the face of danger. Ask God for their perseverance in the face of long days. Call upon the Lord for the patients they care for to be healed by the authority of Jehovah-Rapha. Pray for the health of their families so their attention will not be divided. Pray that God would receive the glory and that people would seek the Lord while He may still be found! Pray that this war against an unseen enemy be won by the power of Jehovah-Rapha!
May God bless our heath care workers! If you are one of these heroes, I thank you!
Love,
Pastor Larry
Pastor Larry
(This is from a series of devotionals written during our time of restricted meetings and activities due to
the coronavirus.)
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