Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction. They loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. (Psalm 107:17-20)
The people had become fools because of their sinful ways, bringing affliction upon themselves. Their sickness robbed them of all appetite, and their lives hung by a thread. It was a desperate scene, the result of iniquity pressing them to the edge of destruction. But in their distress, they cried out to the Lord.
God did not respond with more judgment or withdraw in apathy. He intervened with compassion. He sent his word, and it brought healing and deliverance. The people were in their predicament because of their foolishness, yet his response was one of mercy. His word did not stop at forgiveness, but it brought tangible healing and rescue from destruction. The word of God was powerful and effective, restoring both the spiritual and physical aspects of their lives.
God does not take pleasure in the misery of his people, and he does not send sickness as a mark of his favor. He did not use sickness to teach them. He sent his word for that purpose. Affliction came under his providence because they rejected that word. Deuteronomy contains repeated warnings that disobedience would bring curses upon the people, including sickness.
Their afflictions were not signs of deeper spirituality or greater obedience, but the result of rebellion against God’s word. They did not suffer because they were especially devoted. They suffered because they had turned away from what God had spoken. Sickness was never a gift, never a good thing. And Jesus has redeemed us from the curse of the law. He has nullified the curse of sickness.
Even in their rebellion, the goodness of God remained clear. When they turned to him and cried out in their distress, he healed them. Their sickness was a physical condition, and the healing was a physical restoration. This was not a metaphor or a spiritual symbol. God’s goodness appeared in the healing, not in the affliction. He teaches by his word, and when we listen, that word brings life and healing.
Those who embrace a false gospel of sickness transgress at precisely this point. They still refuse to listen. As the Bible says, “For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes, so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.” These people present themselves as humble and submissive to God’s will, as if they are receiving his word with reverence. The opposite is true. They have hardened their hearts against the gospel and rejected the word of God. Otherwise, the Bible says, they would turn to God and he would heal them.
The word of God produces tangible, physical effects. It enhances every part of our lives. Scripture does not compartmentalize God’s power, as if he reaches the soul but not the body, the spirit but not the circumstances. The word of God is for all of life, and brings results in every area. It heals the body just as it renews the mind and saves the soul. God’s intention is wholeness, and his word is the means by which he brings it. His word is alive and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, able to penetrate and transform every aspect of life.
God’s eagerness to heal the sick found its fullest expression in the ministry of Jesus. Peter said, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” His ministry was a demonstration of God’s goodness. He did not go about making people sick to teach them spiritual lessons. He went about healing them. He destroyed sickness everywhere he went. To him, it was an oppression to be annihilated, not a blessing to be embraced. Sickness was condemned and expelled. Jesus was doing good by healing, and this was a manifestation of God’s word and God’s will.
If we are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, we must acknowledge that God’s glory is not found in affliction. His glory is revealed in our repentance, our faith, our prayers for miracles, and his response to those prayers. God is glorified when his people turn to him in faith and he answers by delivering them. The Bible is filled with examples of God receiving glory through healing, deliverance, and miraculous provision, not through the prolonged suffering of his people.
In defiance to the clear teaching of Scripture, faithless religion declares that the glory of God is often found in our affliction and persistent suffering. This false theology exalts sickness and failure, as if God is most honored when he refuses to answer our prayers and leaves us in our pain. Such thinking is not only misguided but damnable, for it distorts the nature of God and denies the power of his word.
A theology that excuses failure and beautifies suffering is a theology that denies the goodness of God. It turns sickness into something to be embraced rather than something to be overcome. It turns unanswered prayer into a virtue rather than a call to persist in faith. Such a theology robs God of his glory by rejecting his power to heal and deliver. It must be condemned, because it is against the clear teaching of Scripture and the character of God.
God sent his word to heal, and he has never stopped doing so. The word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. Jesus, the incarnate word of God, went about healing and delivering all who were oppressed by the devil. And now, the written word of God and the preached word of God continue that same work, bringing healing to those who receive it by faith. The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. It is a salvation that restores and enhances every aspect of our being.
The afflictions that people suffer are not signs of God’s favor or evidence of deep spirituality. They are often the result of sin, unbelief, ignorance, faithless theology, or demonic oppression. Yet in his goodness, God has made a way of deliverance. He sent his word, and he sent his Son. Jesus came to do good and to heal all who were oppressed, and he appointed his followers to carry on this ministry.
Reject any theology that glorifies suffering and failure. Refuse to accept sickness or poverty. Refuse failure or depression. These are not gifts from God. Instead, embrace his goodness as revealed in his word. Believe for miracles. Expect God to answer. Expect him to heal and to deliver. Honor him by believing what he has spoken and by walking in his healing power. God is good, and his goodness is revealed in his power to restore and prosper. He sent his word to heal his people and to rescue them from destruction. This is the testimony of Scripture, and if we believe it, it will be our testimony as well.