Several years ago I was part of a group that was praying for a gentleman who had cancer. The power of God was very evident as we prayed for him and we were all very hopeful that this dear man would be healed. The Lord had instructed his wife not to use any of the traditional medicines and she was obeying and feeding him with all organic, healthy food. His doctor was also a believer in Christ and was monitoring his cancer and obeying the Lord.
So I was heart-broken when after praying for several months I received a call during the middle of the night that this dear man had gone home to be with Jesus.
After we had celebrated his life and laid him to rest, I went to Lord one day and asked, "Why?" "Why, God, when we had literally felt Your Presence, obeyed what You told us to do, and believed You so completely? Why, when I know it's always Your will to heal, why did this man not receive healing?"
And I heard one word from the Lord. "Anger."
I kept this to myself and just continued to give my heart to the Lord, thinking about what He had said.
One day, a couple of months after this, the man's widow called me. And in the course of our conversation, she asked me, "Do you know why he died?" And I carefully and kindly shared with her what the Lord had told me.
She surprised me by saying, "You know, that's true. He was very angry at his mom. Whenever she would leave, he would tell me that 'his skin crawled' whenever she touched him."
God's Word tells us that we are judged according to the way we judge others. It also tells us that we must forgive.
So, I want to propose to you a thought.
I believe that this man's unforgiveness was the thing that stopped him from receiving the healing that God is always willing to give. But I want to take it even further than that. I believe that this anger and unforgiveness could have been the very 'root' of the cancer. This anger could have been the sin that gave the cancer legal access to him.
Healing and salvation are synonymous. Did you know that the literal meaning of the name 'Jesus' is "He heals/He saves?"
Some people are troubled by the story of Job. But I am always comforted by it.
Satan comes before God and has to receive permission before attacking Job. God follows His own legal system and there was a sin in Job's life that gave the enemy legal access to him. We find that in Job 3:25, Job says, "For what I fear has come upon me, and what I dread befalls me." Even though Job was a righteous man, He feared that he would lose it all. And through that fear, he opened the door for the enemy.
Sin opens the door for the enemy. But even more than that, unforgiveness and bitterness can literally make us sick.
I want to propose that if this is the cause for the illness that even as we forgive, we are healed. As we release our judgment on others, we stop the judgment on ourselves. As we walk in love, we open our hearts to receive the healing love of God.
I have been really surprised by some people's reaction to this thought. Some people would rather choose to believe that it's not always God's will to heal than take some responsibility for their illness. I have seen people become very offended over this thought. But then I have to realize that it may be an offense that has caused their illness in the first place.
I want to be sure and say that this is NOT THE ONLY REASON for illness. I want to be sure that I don't cause anyone to ever look at someone who is really sick and think, "They're really a sinner." Because there are other reasons for illness. One is the food we eat - or the food we don't eat - that greatly weakens our immune system.
Another is the 'curse of the generations.' The Word tells us 'that the sins of the father are visited on the next generations.'
Scientists and doctors call this 'heredity.' This is another subject, but the Blood of Christ has the power to break this curse. I believe that when we receive salvation, our DNA is changed. I'll try to write more on this subject another day.
We each need to seek the Holy Spirit for the root of sickness.
We need to understand that anger and judgment and unforgiveness are sins and will destroy us. God tells us never to let the sun go down on our anger. Over the years, anger becomes bitterness and bitterness and love cannot co-habitate.
Forgiveness is a choice we make. God will do the rest.
love and blessings~
"Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions." Mark 11:25
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