DAILY DEVOT IONAL 31
Diana B. Yamoah
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For You are my Praise. - Jeremiah 17:12-14 (NIV)
SEEKING GOD’S HEALING
I as one of the senior black instructors in my school district. I was asked to mentor Ramy, a young scholar athlete who had joined our faculty. Ramy and I became such good friends both on and off campus sharing our perspectives in life despite the difference in our ages, ethnicity and political views. I encouraged Ramy to serve as a basketball coach at my daughter’s high school. It just so happened that Ramy met her future husband Tony, during her time as the basketball coach. The two got married and had 2 sons. Our friendship grew stronger even when Ramy transferred out of my school district. Sometime later, Tony got sick and within a few months we lost Tony. This came as a shock to both of us and everyone who knew him. They both were in the prime of their lives raising a family together. Six months later I received a call from Ramy that she was in the hospital having been diagnosed with breast cancer and had to have surgery. This was a second shock. I went to see Ramy often in the hospital; we cried, laughed and prayed together for God’s healing during those times. I was concerned about the 2 sons who were just about to get into college. As I was preparing to make another visit to see Ramy I received a text message from Ramy’s sister that Ramy had died early that morning. I was very devastated. I wept and prayed for strength and also for Ramy’s children who were now left motherless and fatherless within a 10-month period. As I was grieving and seeking comfort and healing and also for Ramy’s family, the I came across this scripture verse from Jeremiah.
The verse in Jeremiah suggests that our needs for healing is not limited to the physical. In the same way, God’s power to heal is not limited to the physical. To experience total healing, it must extend to our hearts, minds, and spirits. We must have faith that whatever pain we carry today – the loss of a loved one and the emotional weariness - God sees them all and draws near. Just as Jesus reached out to touch the sick and comfort the weary, we pray and seek God’s healing. His love is constant, and His power to heal is unfailing.
For us humans, healing may not always come in the way we expect or at our desired timeline. We must remember that God’s presence is always a source of our strength and comfort. Our time is not His time, and even as we wait for His healing, we must have faith that He is working on our request.
PRAYER OF HEALING:
God of mercy, we thank you for healing us, making us stronger when life and grief have broken us down, Touch our bodies with Your strength, our minds with Your peace, and our spirits with Your hope. Amen
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
God can heal us physically, emotionally, and spiritually
QUESTIONS:
1. When have you had an opportunity to comfort a young person who has lost a parent or parents? What did you say to the person?
2. Were you able to help a person who has suffered a loss look at the positive aspect of the loss?
3. Have you experienced a loss? Have you had an opportunity to use your experience to help someone?
PRAYER FOCUS:
Those who have lost loved ones