Episode #221 Part 2: Partnering with God for Healing and Wholeness – Names of God

Hey friends, we're continuing in this conversation with God about His name, Jehovah Rapha, getting to know Him more by His reputation as the Lord who heals. And that impacts us relationally, and that also helps us receive His role as our healer in our lives.

And the approach we're taking in this series here is actually breaking down this topic into two episodes. So if you missed part one, where we're looking at when God first introduced this name in the Bible, go back to the last episode and then continue with us today as we're talking with God about what this means for us personally.

God introduces this name for himself in Exodus 15 when he tells the people, Hey, if you listen to me, if you do what is right, and you obey my commands and you keep my decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases that I sent on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you. I am Jehovah Rapha.

And this wording for healing in Hebrew is often used in other ways. For example, God heals the water, which is also referenced in this story when the water is bitter.

God heals the water. God heals land. God heals nations. It's even used as the word repair when he repairs or heals an altar. It's also used in reference to God healing sin. and then In the New Testament, this corresponds to a Greek word, which is Yaomai. And that can reference deliverance from death, from demons, from sickness, and again from sin.

And we see references to all of these types of healing all throughout scripture, including Psalm 103:3, which I'll read in the New Living Translation. And it says:

“He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.” (Psalm 103:3)

And then in Psalm 147:3 again, in the NLT,

“He heals the broken hearted and bandages their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3)

We also see this in Isaiah 53:5,

“But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed." (Isaiah 53:5)

So in these three verses, we see healing from disease, physical.

We see healing, the brokenhearted, emotional.

And we see healing from our sins, spiritual.

God heals us and brings us to complete wholeness.

And there's a quote that I love from Charles Spurgeon who talks about this. He says, “Jehovah-Rapha is not merely the God who heals but the God who makes whole. His healing extends beyond the body to the spirit, restoring all that is broken.”

God was not just Jehovah Rafa, the God who heals back then. He is not just the God who heals for certain types of ailments or certain types of wounds. He is the God who heals to wholeness. And he is the same God today. The one who we read about in scripture is alive and active in our lives.

And it's helpful for us to look back and see how he's on display in the Bible and how he interacted with the people that were alive in biblical times, because he still engages with us as the same God in this modern day and age. And so today's episode is short and sweet. He is still Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals.

No matter where we are on our healing journeys, there is still more healing that God can bring to us. And so today we're coming to God with a two-part question. In the way that God introduced his name, Jehovah Rapha, back in Exodus 15, he named himself that he is the God who heals. And he introduced a part for the Israelite people to play. He told them his instruction for them. If you do these things, then you won't have the diseases you had in Egypt. For I am the Lord who heals you. so we're taking that same framework into our conversation with God today.

God can bring healing to us and also, we're going to ask him about what our part is to partner with him in his healing work in our lives. And so we start with:

God, what part of my heart, or my life needs your healing?

And then as we talk with him about this, also ask him.

God, what's my part to play?

We want to respond to him as the Lord, our healer. And that includes walking out our part in partnership with Him.
God, what part of my heart or life needs your healing? And God, what's my part to play?

Have a good talk.

And if you've been encouraged by this content, please share it with a friend and help them grow in their conversational relationship with God too!

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