S ) "4 As for me, I said, 'O Lord, be gracious to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.'"
Psalm 41:4 (NASB)
O) David understood something fundamental to our existence. Sin causes sickness to our souls. Too often, people assume that the sickness that God wants to heal is our physical body. I think that He does want to heal us physically sometimes, but I often wonder what the point is for that, if we're all going to die anyway. More often than not, I think God is concerned for our spiritual sicknesses, the ones that afflict our souls. When James wrote that we should confess our sins and pray that we may be healed, I do not think he necessarily meant our physical healing (see James 5:16). When Peter gave his second sermon recorded in Acts, he said that we should repent and return, that times of refreshing would come from the presence of the Lord (see Acts 3:19). I don't think he meant a physical refreshing. Physical healing, no matter how powerful and complete, will only ever be a temporary fix to our terminal illness: our sinful flesh will perish. However, the healing of our soul is a permanent fix to a much more serious problem: in the war between our flesh and spirit, our soul hangs in the balance.
A) I should not fear damage to my body only, but I should fear damage to body and soul (see Matthew 10:28). The consequences of my sins may very well carry physical ramifications, but they should always be seen as secondary concerns at most. My primary concern must always be the eternal consequences of sin. When I sin against the LORD, there is a sickness in my soul that must be healed. Indeed, my heart is sick with sin. If I have physical ailments, of course it would be nice to be healed. It is an opportunity to glorify God while His power is revealed in an outward observable way. However, much more concerning to me, is that I am healed within. The greater miracle will never be that God changes my body from sickness to health, but that He takes my heart of stone and gives me a heart of flesh.
A) I should not fear damage to my body only, but I should fear damage to body and soul (see Matthew 10:28). The consequences of my sins may very well carry physical ramifications, but they should always be seen as secondary concerns at most. My primary concern must always be the eternal consequences of sin. When I sin against the LORD, there is a sickness in my soul that must be healed. Indeed, my heart is sick with sin. If I have physical ailments, of course it would be nice to be healed. It is an opportunity to glorify God while His power is revealed in an outward observable way. However, much more concerning to me, is that I am healed within. The greater miracle will never be that God changes my body from sickness to health, but that He takes my heart of stone and gives me a heart of flesh.
P) Father, be gracious to me. Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You. In Your perfect plan of grace and mercy, in the gospel of Jesus Christ, You have already begun this good work in me. You are the author, and the perfecter, of my faith. That same faith in Jesus Christ is the basis of my salvation. That same faith is what brings me into relationship with You, and it is the avenue through which I know I am healed in my heart. I know that this process is not yet perfected, not yet complete. So, I still ask for Your grace and healing. I pray that this miracle is visible to people in my life. I pray that they are able to perceive the powerful and wonderful work You have done, and are still doing, in my heart and in my life. Be glorified. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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