No, God does not give us sickness. However many believers think that God does put sickness on them. They will refer to Job and yet even in Job, God was not the one that put sickness on him. Satan is the author of death, for he is the one who deceived Eve in the garden stating God was the one holding back from them and that if they ate from the tree they would be like God. Yet God never intended for them to eat of that tree because they would know good and evil which was never His intent. His intent was for us to know only the goodness of God.
In the story of Job, God allows Satan to attack Job’s family, health, and finances. He attacked all the things that God had given to Job because of his faithfulness. God had rewarded Job with good things here on earth for his faithfulness. When Job had lost everything however he never once cursed God which is what Satan was after. He questioned why this was happening to him because up until this point we do not ever really hear about Satan. Sadly his friends accused him that God must be punishing him and that he must have done something wrong. Even today well meaning friends can speak words that may cause you to doubt or question the goodness of God.
Yet Jesus came to give us good news. When Jesus was doing ministry He stated, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” (John 6:38) He came to do the will of the Father. Many believers are asking what is the will of the Father, but it is easy to figure out by looking at the life and ministry of Jesus.
“God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:38) God sent Jesus to do good and heal ALL that were oppressed by who? The devil. Interesting that it was the devil that was putting sickness on people then and yet today we give claim to God for doing it and then we pray that God would take it. If God gave you sickness, why would he take it away? Do you even realize how crazy that all sounds?
The Pharisees tried to claim that Jesus was for Beelzebub and caused people to question Jesus’ motives. Jesus responded to them by saying, “If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast [them] out? Therefore they will be your judges.” (Luke 11:18-19) I love this because Jesus is trying to show them that Satan cannot be the one casting out what he (satan) had put on others.
Jesus wanted them to see their own hypocrisy and yet today we still have religious leaders that will blame God for sicknesses. They will say things such as “It must be God’s will.” Where in the scriptures does Jesus refuse to heal a person because it was God’s will for them to be sick. In Acts we see that it was written about Jesus that he healed ALL that were oppressed. The word used in Greek for ALL is the word pas which does in fact mean all. It also means any, every, the whole, everyone, everywhere. God wants to heal everyone that is oppressed by the devil, but first we need to stop being deceived by Satan, as Eve, into thinking God is holding something back from us or that God is not a good God. Satan is a liar and wants you to turn from God. That was His plan with Job and that is His plan with you today.
Unfortunately we buy into His lies and then we do the rest of the work for him, by stating things like “this must be my cross that I have to bear.” Jesus died on that cross and in 1 Peter 2:24 it states, “who Himself (Jesus) bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness–by whose stripes you were healed.” Jesus died on that tree so that we can live for righteousness and our sins were forgiven. However the verse continues. Many believe only for salvation and nothing more, however it adds that by His stripes (the whipping and beatings He looks for you) you were healed.
I come from a background that has been blinded and deceived, thinking it was possible; but it was never guaranteed. We prayed “if it be God’s will,” kind of prayers because we didn’t know or understand that it was and is God’s will; and that in fact it was already provided by what Jesus did for us at the cross. I love to read about Jesus with the Leper that humble came and asked “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” He believed that Jesus could heal him, but would He and was He willing? This is still a question many are seeking today.
Jesus’ response shows the heart of the Father for you and I today. “Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out [His] hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” (Mark 1:41) Although this is written in Matthew and Luke as well, Mark’s account is different. In Mark’s account before Jesus did anything it says that he was ‘moved with compassion.’ God has compassion for whatever you are going through today and He is willing. In fact, He already purchased your healing and took those stripes so you can freely receive what has already been paid for.
In Hosea it states, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6) I’m here today to share truth for those seeking truth. I also desire for you to walk in all that Jesus provided for you here on earth not just in heaven.
The first step to receiving your healing is hearing the truth. You have to hear and know that it is always God’s will to heal you. He is for you and He loves you. Next you may have to renew your mind and cast out some lies that you have believed. I too had believed lies and I’m so thankful to have received revelation of God’s goodness. Finally, you have to receive by faith what Jesus already purchased. It took faith for you to believe for salvation and it is going to take faith to receive your healing as well.
In conclusion, I encourage you to give Him the praise He deserves. Worship our God, Savior, Healer. Praise Him and watch as the chains of sickness, fear, doubt that have held you captive begin to drop off and you can walk in the freedom in which Jesus came to give you. Before you know it the pain will be gone, the symptoms will fade, and you will be walking whole again, just as God intended.