Why Doesn't God Heal Immediately?

Why doesn’t God heal immediately when we ask in faith like He did in Bible times?

This is the first tough question Pastor Dan addressed at Parma Heights Baptist Church on July 5th. 

Sometimes God does heal immediately, but it seems as though most of the time, he does not.  First of all, Jesus didn’t heal everyone back then either.  Why does God answer the prayers of some for healing and not others?  The answer Pastor Dan gave was that God is sovereign and that it just isn’t God’s will to heal everyone today, just as it wasn’t in Bible times.  There were many people who weren’t healed such as those around the pool of Bethesda when Jesus chose to heal the paralyzed man. 

We often pray for the sick and I can think of times when the sick were healed as well as when they weren’t, even though many people were praying for them.  I’m sure you can too.  Although physical healing is often what we seek, God is more concerned with forgiving sin and spiritual growth.  Also God is merciful and perhaps he wants to spare the individual from additional pain or harm.  Perhaps God wants to accomplish some plan through the death of someone.

God never promised anywhere in the Bible that Christians would have a life free of problems or pain.  In fact, just the opposite is stated that Christians should expect suffering.  The promise is that our suffering is small compared to the future reward: 

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.     (Romans 8:18)

For our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory:  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen:  for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.  (II Corinthians 4:17 & 18)

I think of King Hezekiah who prayed for healing and God granted his request, giving him an additional 15 years.  During this time his son, Manasseh, was born who was a very bad person.  In my opinion, it would have been better for Hezekiah not to have lived that extra 15 years and Manasseh would not have been born.  Yet, God created Manasseh in the womb.  I question why God would do this when he knows everything including the future.  

The bottom line is that God’s ways are mysterious and higher than our ways:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.  (Isaiah 55:8-9)

The fact remains that God is the almighty, all-powerful and sovereign God who is ultimately in control of everything and who am I to question Him.  We must learn to surrender to His will as Jesus surrendered his will to the Father’s and look for what he wants to teach us through the experiences He allows into our lives.

God is not like a Santa Claus, giving Christians whatever they ask for if they follow His ways and are “good little children.”  He does love us and gave His only Son to die to pay the price for our sins that we can be in heaven one day with Him.  I John 4:19 is why we love God, because He first loved us!  Not because he is like Santa or a Genie who grants our every wish.

Part 2 on healing coming soon:  So Then Should We Pray For The Sick?

(Scripture is from the King James Version.)