Healing Power

FRI., OCT. 7, 1988, 7:07 AM
FARM, STUDY

The story on film that you watched last evening was, in order, a story of disease and then one of healing. The age old question put to Me, often in pain or in terror, is, “Why is there disease, Lord?” Surely a loving God would not be responsible for disease. Surely a loving God would respond to all prayers for healing from disease. This attitude leads rather directly to the notion of satan, an evil force that causes disease which I cannot overcome. It is an old, old story.

Interestingly, scientific medicine’s explanation of disease is a welcome step away from “it has to be Me or the devil.” Medicine affirms that there are natural causes, both internal and external, for diseases, and therefore physicians have to devise ways to counter these disease processes. Medicines and surgery can be effective. I am not against these… except when they are applied excessively and without the companion of spiritual power.

You see, a human body can heal and recover from disease. It has such powers. And a human body can succumb to disease and die, some too early, some too late, and most, just about right. Death is postponed by healing power, but death is inevitable. As I have told you many times and in many ways, death is a necessary condition of life. Life in the earth is a continuously regenerating process, with a necessary balance between births and deaths. Disease is part of that balance, representing the competitive nature of life. There is a certain competition among the various forms of life, and each human body must adapt to the capacities of certain organisms.

The body has to adapt to other irritating aspects of life, whether these are particles, people, or assignments. And then there is trauma, the result of machines and weapons which inflict injury.

My theme today, however, is healing power. Your body has always healed well, and you have many personal stories of healing. It also has preventive powers, and there is much potential disease that has never had a chance to develop in your body. You have never had to mobilize your healing powers as was necessary for the young woman in the film. You have power you have never had to use… but each of you has such powers, and many die prematurely because these powers are left dormant.

Scientific medicine’s approach is too passive for best healing. If its capacities are combined with the healing powers of the body the result would be more favorable. This will not eliminate death, but it would insure that death, when it comes, is appropriate… overcoming the power to heal and the power of medicine and surgery.

There are many ways to mobilize these healing powers. No single way will be effective with all people… or all disease. The film indicated that, for this woman, the healing power of meditation could not be effective until she dealt with the lack of love she felt for her dead parents. Yes, it can be this complex… and this simple. Love is the energy behind the power to heal. When love abounds and is freely given and received by the one who ails healing power is maximum. Other techniques, such as meditation or acupuncture or even diet, are then means to healing, but the basic energy is love.

For everything there is a season… and the Preacher said there is a time to be born and a time to die. In this morning’s context there is a time to heal and a time to die, but in each there is a time to love. It is proper to hate the disease and to develop the strong image of destroying it. But overriding this hate must be the love of life and the love for others that you might serve with further life.