James 5:14-15 — Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

Devotions over the past few days have been focused on “last things”. Today’ will have a more cheerful feeling I hope! It’s inspired, as Thursday devotions often are, by a song we’re rehearsing in Choir. It has a wonderful celebration of who God is. “He’s my Healer, my Savior, my Deliverer”. Now I’m hoping that Savior and Deliverer go without saying – but Healer? Now I don’t know about you, but I know plenty of great Christians who have been sick, got worse, and died … So what’s going on?
First of all, God is definitely the Healer! He says so Himself:

Exodus 15:26 — saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.”

Jesus was the greatest healer who ever walked the earth:

Mark 6:56 — And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

There are those who argue that the promise of healing refers only to physical healing. But we are more than just our bodies — we are body, mind and soul. Jehovah-Rapha, “The Lord our Healer”, God’s title in Exodus 15:26, takes care of all of us … In the best way possible.
I believe the verses from James offer powerful confirmation that God takes care of all of us. Knowing as we do that physical healing is not always assured, how are we to interpret the promise, “And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick”? Lange’s Commentary describes the intent of the text:

if any man as a Christian has been hurt or become sick in his Christianity, let him seek healing from the presbyters, the kernel of the congregation. Let these pray with and for him and anoint him with the oil of the Spirit; such a course wherever taken, will surely restore him and his transgressions will be forgiven him.

Jehovah-Rapha is not just the physical healer — He is the total restorer. I am so grateful!