By Terrence Browne, MPth, MA, M.Phil
It was a darkness that no man had ever seen or imagined, nor could ever imagine; for it was beyond anything he had ever experienced as it existed outside of his experience. This was the darkness of ‘in the beginning.’
God created time by the power of His Word at a time when there was none. The world was created by His Word, as were all animate and inanimate things. God spoke, “Let there be light,” and there was light; God’s word penetrated the darkness, and the darkness rolled away like writing on a chalkboard being erased. “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, dividing the waters from the waters,” God said; and order was immediately produced before the eyes of angels and the unfallen worlds. God gathered the waters into one place and created the grass, plants and herbs with the power of His Word. He created the world through the power of His Word, and in doing so, demonstrated the power of His Word to man.
In 3 John 3:2 we read, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers”; (NKJV) When you are sick, the only good news is, God wants you to get better. It’s difficult to look at someone’s weakened and frail body, laid up by sickness and disease, and say, “Jesus cares. Oh yes, He cares.” There can be no comfort in scripture if it does not bring peace; if it does not illuminate the way forward and provide clarity on one’s condition; if it does not reveal God’s love at the end of man’s terrible extremes.
Sickness is the darkest hour of our lives. It’s a time when we worry, ponder, assign blame, and express regrets. For some, it’s a period of terror, and for others, a period of mental perplexity. “How could God allow this to happen to me?” The power of God’s word to transform darkness, loneliness, confusion and ugliness, into light, life, order and beauty, is revealed in the creation account. It is God’s desire to flood human existence with joy, wealth and peace, and through His Word, He accomplishes this goal.
“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers”; (NKJV) John says this with care and affection, just as he did to the elder Gaius. It conveys the depth of feeling that God has for His people.
“My beloved,” God says, and there is a feeling of closeness, a warm sensation, a desire to embrace. The Greek word agapetos means ‘to be dear and precious,’ and that is exactly what we are to God. That is what is emphasized in the bible passage: I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in good health, just as your spirit prospers. This is a prayer request for our healing, which can only be accomplished by the transforming power of The Word. In many instances in the New Testament, the Greek word euchomai, which means ‘I want’, is translated as ‘pray.’ John was implying that we should pray for his friend Gauis as an example to us, for our own healing.
Psalm 84:11 states, “For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” (KJV)
Our prayers are not to change God’s mind, for He is perfect and does not change. They are to develop our relationship with Him so that we can apply His word to our circumstances and reap the benefits that are available to those who walk uprightly. Through His Word, God has given us all we need, and His word is available to everyone who believes. Prayer does not change God, but it changes us, and places us in His will, allowing us to experience the fulfilment of the promises He has made.
In Deuteronomy 11:27-28 God established divine principles that would allow everyone the opportunity to be healthy and to flourish. Deuteronomy says, “A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.” (KJV)
As a result of our obedience, “no good thing would be withheld from us.” Our blessings are waiting to be embraced when we come into God’s will. Hebrews 4:15 states, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (KJV) This verse connects health and salvation. Jesus died on the cross in order to rescue us. What boundless love! The Bible mentions the salvation that He wishes for all persons in the same context as our health. When our health is in jeopardy, Jesus experiences the same agony for us, as when we sin and jeopardize our salvation.
Jesus sees every broken heart and sorrowful soul, and He longs to heal them. We have assurance of His power as evidenced at creation because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We know His love because it was proved on the cross at Calvary, and we know His Spirit through His presence in our lives.
God appeals to us to rely on His Word for the removal of darkness, the restoration of order, the replacement of sickness with abundant life, and the restoration of peace. When we are sick and/or in pain, we can go to God knowing that any good thing we ask for is already His wish for us. We are told that as we utilize God’s word, we will be transformed into the person He desires us to be and we will be made whole by His word. He calls us ‘BELOVED.’
