By Brandon Smith
Growing up in North Texas, you get used to tornadoes. Every April or May, tornado warnings seem to go off multiple times a week. For eight weeks, it feels like you spend more time in your closet or bathtub than anywhere else in the house. For my family, our fear of these uncontrollable storms was always at red alert. Our area wasn’t just at risk for the occasional twister; we lived where many of those tornadoes tended to start. We were often glued to The Weather Channel, sure that our day was (eventually) going to come.
I’d like to say that we always prayed and trusted the Lord in those moments. Truthfully, we didn’t. We treated tornadoes like embodied deities, almost bowing down to them and begging them not to hit our house. C’mon, tornado. Stay north of us. Don’t come through here, we prayed from our closet. We stopped just short of leaving them an offering on our doorstep.
Much like the disciples on the boat, we had doubts. When the storms raged around us, we said, “Lord we’re going to die!” We wish we were more like so many of those in today’s passage who turned to Jesus, with faith that he could heal and protect. In fact, we have even less excuse than the disciples to doubt Jesus’ power, because we get to look back on these stories and see the Savior at work.
If we believe the Bible is true, then we’ll ultimately rest in the truth that Jesus is in the business of healing and protecting. Storms, diseases, and frailties are like house flies in the face of Jesus—they are annoying, but of no real threat. He squashes them with a mere word. After all, “even the wind and sea obey him” (Matthew 8:27). Surely, even our greatest heartaches, missteps, and fears are no match for Him.
Today, may we trust that even through life’s storms and pains, Jesus is here. He cares. He empathizes. He reaches out to us. He may not always answer exactly how and when we’d like, but He is never silent or ambivalent to us.
Thanks be to Him.
Written by Brandon D. Smith
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4 thoughts on "Jesus Heals"
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Brandon says:
I need to have the faith of the centurion. I continue to rely to much on myself and that fails me time and time again. I pray to rest in Christ and know that he is in control
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David Cook says:
My “storm” seems to be the everyday struggle with real purpose. I’m 43 years old and still not entirely sure what I want or is meant for me to do. When Christ says follow me, it’s an ask that I admit I’ve never really sat down given serious thought to. I’m saved, i know this. However, my walk is so inconsistent. I don’t want to let go of the control I have. Ironically I’ve never really had control. Why is it so hard to give up something you don’t truly posses. The only thing I feel I can do is keep praying, ask forgiveness when I stumble and let God take over. I need to let go of the empty space I’m so convinced I belong in.
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Jordan says:
God is in the business of healing and protecting. We may not always understand his timing, but faith like a mustard seed is what we need.
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Patrick Hopkins says:
Jesus heals. He used healing to reinforce faith and glorify God. Sometimes He heals without being asked and sometimes he heals because he sees great faith (the centurion). But it is up to him! And he has a plan for all of us. Sometimes that plan allows hardship. But he never gives us more than we can handle and he always uses hardship for good in our spiritual lives. To sanctify us and to bring us closer to him.
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