Week Six - Jehova Rapha: The God Who Heals
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Today, I am going to tell you about a great Doctor who healed me. I remember as a little girl, being tied to a coffee table in the living room with a kitchen towel stuffed in my mouth and beaten by the metal buckle end of a belt. I suffered mental and physical abuse my entire childhood at the hands of a close family member. It left me scarred, wounded me physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. I was so broken, in so much pain feeling unloved, unworthy, and hopeless that I tried to end my life at the age of 12. Thank God, it was not my time and I have a testimony to tell you about my encounter with Jehova Rapha, which is just one of God’s powerful and amazing names.
Jehova, in Hebrew means existing one or Lord. Rapha means to heal, to make complete or to make whole. The two combined together means, the God who heals. God is the Great Physician, and He can heal emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. He may not bring healing in the way that is expected but will always bring healing in the way that is needed. In the abundance of His great love, Jehovah Rapha will heal in accordance with His good, pleasing, and perfect will and plan. Exodus 15 verse 26 says, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord who heals you”. God revealed Himself to His people that He is the One that will protect them and heal them if they placed their trust in Him and obey.
As you can imagine, my childhood abuse affected me profoundly. Most nights, I would have nightmares of this person trying to hurt me. These nightmares continued well into my adulthood where I would jolt up with night sweats. My pain, trauma, and brokenness left me sick inside. I was wounded from my past and I was mentally and emotionally tortured by these nightmares. I knew in the depth of my soul that I needed help and healing. As an adult, I sought doctors and counselors who were only able to help so much. I still felt broken and wounded, suffering from horrible nightmares. For 27 years, these nightmares raged on, and I accepted that they were just a part of me until I had an encounter with the mighty physician, Jehova Rapha in 2009.
A friend invited me to church and I sat in the worship center listening to the pastor speak. The pastor spoke of God’s love, forgiveness, and healing through His Son Jesus Christ. Jehova Rapha said in Jeremiah 30, verse 17 “I will restore health to your body and heal your wounds”. As I sat there and listened, I knew that I wanted my health restored and my wounds healed. However, I realized that I needed another healing besides mentally and emotionally. I needed spiritual healing from the effects of sin. The pastor went on to say that in Romans 3, verse 23 “we all have sinned and fall short of God’s glorious standards” and in Romans 6:23, “the wages of sin is death”.
The sins that I committed, and the ones committed against me left me wounded and broken inside, but it also caused a spiritual sickness that led to death and a separation between God and myself. I did not realize that I was bleeding out from within and needed the mighty physician to heal me! The pastor spoke the good news that Jesus went to the cross to die for the sins of the world and through him, we have forgiveness of sins, healing, eternal life, and a restored relationship to God the Father, if we trust Jesus to be our Lord and Savior. I believed what I heard and with tears pouring down my face, I knew at that very moment that I needed Jesus.
When I placed my full trust in Jesus and was baptized, I felt the weight of pain and brokenness lift. I no longer suffered from horrible nightmares. Jehova Rapha, the God who heals, brought healing to me physically and spiritually. I not only received God’s forgiveness, but He helped me to forgive the family member that hurt me, along with others, and myself. Through Jesus, I have been set free, healed, and made whole and complete. Thank You Jehovah Rapha!
Since my surrender to Jesus, Jehova Rapha has never stopped being the mighty Healer in my life. I’m constantly and continually needing Him to bring healing to me in so many ways. We live in a world that is fallen and full of trouble, but Jesus promises to be with us to the end of time and He helps us through all of life’s troubles.
There was time Jehova Rapha brought healing to me but not in the way I was hoping or expecting. When I was in my early 30s, I had a manic episode where I was saying and doing things that I could not control. I had lost all control of my mental and physical abilities and was living in my own reality which was made up in my head. It was far from the true reality. The police were called, and I was checked into a hospital. It was there that the doctor diagnosed me with bi-polar disorder. I was a new Christian at the time and refused to take my medicine because I believed that God would divinely heal me, and I would not need medication. So, I stopped my medicine and had another manic episode that landed me in the hospital for 9 days.
It was at the hospital that God made it known to me that He was going to bring healing by way of doctors and medication. So, instead of being wise in my own eyes, I surrendered and submitted to God’s will and plan. I received the healing that I needed and now can function with no more manic episodes. God is so gracious to me. He is the amazing healer, and He can use anyone or anything to bring healing. I am thankful for His gift of the doctor and medicine and today I can function with a sound mind. God’s healing for my bi-polar disorder came in accordance with His good, pleasing, and perfect will.
Jehova Rapha, the God who heals, said in Jeremiah 33, verse 6 “Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security”. I was hoping, praying, and expecting a different way of healing and deliverance but, God used the doctors and medicine to make me whole and complete once more. I have been on the same medicine for 13 years now. I can be the woman that God created me to be so that I can continue to do His will and His work in my life. God says that He wants good for me, not to harm me, but to give me hope and a future. Can God do divine healings where medicine is not needed? Absolutely! But that is not how He chose to heal me, and I am grateful that healing can come through numerous ways and still be miraculous.
Throughout the years, I have had moments that had left me wholly dependent on Jehova Rapha and He has remained steadfast and faithful in providing healing physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Jesus said in John 16, verse 33 “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world.” He is the Overcomer and in Him, we are too.
Friends, I do not know if you are going through anything currently where you need healing physically or spiritually, but I do know that Jehova Rapha desires to bring healing to you. Jesus sees you and loves you. He knows you by name and He loves you with an everlasting love. Jesus, Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals, says
“Come to me all those who are feeling weary and burdened, and I will give rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
He wants us to boldly come before Him and ask because we can and because He says so. Ephesians 3, verse 12 and Hebrews 4, verse 16 God said that through faith in Jesus, we can “boldly come to His throne of grace and receive mercy and find grace in our time of need..." and Matthew 7, verse 7 says to “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be open to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
May you come confidently to Jesus and ask. May Jehova Rapha bring healing to you in the way that you need, and may you trust Him in the way that He heals. Let us pray.
Father God in heaven, You are good and Your love endures forever. Thank You for revealing to us that you are Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals. Thank You, that You demonstrate Your love and power that You can heal physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Thank You, that complete healing is found through Your Son Jesus Christ. I pray for any woman reading, watching, listening, that they will trust You and receive the healing that they need from You. May You receive the glory for all the greatness that You do. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.