Can I still take medicine and
trust God for healing?
Today’s Question:
Dear
Tom, thank you for your faith-inspiring article [on healing]! My husband and I know the
Lord heals. He healed me miraculously when He brought me into the
precious truth. We've experienced miracles as of late too! I have been for a
long time trying to understand by scripture if there is a place at all for the medical establishment in a Christian's life. Do you see
scripture for Doctors being okay? I just really want to know where I stand on
this issue, once and for all. It seems double-minded to say God heals, but that
doctors are good too.
Sincerely, Lori Silva
oldpreach@icnt.net
Bible Answer: Medicine and doctors have
their place. After all Luke himself was a physician, and it
doesn't seem that he gave up his practice just because he became
a believer. God used him to write two major books in the New
Testament.
Paul, who God used many times to heal, also encourages the
medicinal use of wine to Timothy:
Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine
because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses. (1
Tim 5:23)
Paul’s advice shows he was practical in his approach to healing as well as
spiritual. We need that balance.
In the Old Testament, we see that the prophet told Hezekiah to
apply some figs to his life-threatening sore, and through the
word of prophecy and the application of the figs, he was healed.
Isaiah had said, "Prepare a poultice of figs
and apply it to the boil, and he will recover." (Isa
38:21)
I do not find a problem with applying both natural and spiritual remedies for
healing. Even Jesus said that the sick need a physician (Luke 5:31).
We also need to be careful not to put our trust in doctors.
Too many believers seek first doctors before they seek the Lord.
Asa did that, and he died as a result of this mistake.
In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was
afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease
was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from
the LORD, but only from the physicians. (2 Chr 16:12)
God was not upset that Asa saw doctors, but He was angry that he sought help only from the physicians. That’s
when we get into trouble. We should learn from him to put the Lord first, and
trust only him to heal and yet be practical and use physicians, medicine, or
natural remedies when needed.
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