NOT EVERY SICKNESS IS CAUSED BY SIN

EVERY WORD OF GOD FOR DAILY LIVING BY: 
PASTOR PAUL RIKA:
INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR 
Holiness Revival Movement Worldwide

DATE: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23RD

TEXT: James 5:13-15
Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? 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 shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

KEY VERSE: Psalm 41:3
The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing:  thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.

There is a gospel that is in excess. It teaches that the righteous cannot fall sick. But that is not to say that the righteous must fall sick. The bible says in Isaiah 33:24, “And the inhabitants shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.”

In a special sense, God can manifest His power to the point of keeping His children from sicknesses as He did for the nation of Israel when He led them from Egypt to the Promised Land. The Bible says, there was none feeble among them. Even the cloth that they put on their body did not wear out. That is a special manifestation of God. God can make that choice. But is it that believers’ clothes don’t wear out? They do of course! They have followed the law of nature. At times, God will allow the law of nature to take effect. Why? He has made sufficient provision to counteract it. So, be free!

Therefore, can the righteous be sick? Yes! The righteous man can be sick. The righteous man can be oppressed by the devil. He is in this world and Satan too is in this world. In today’s key verse, who is this man that the Lord is talking about? Is it not the righteous? Can he be sick? Yes; the bible says the righteous can be sick. Therefore, know this scripture in the humility of your heart and don’t go into hypocrisy giving false testimonies of righteousness by saying, “I have not been sick since I gave my life to Jesus.” Know from scripture that it is grace that you have enjoyed. There is natural grace. Even among sinners, there are those that have never been sick.

But in reality, the righteous can be sick. When he does, God will heal him. Satan went out from the presence of God and smote Job with sickness. The Lord was aware that Job would be sick but He was quiet about it. Humble yourself because you don’t know what God is planning to do concerning the situation. Were you not created for His glory? What if He decides to kill you? Will you say He has done bad? Job said, though He slay me, I shall still trust Him. So, be calm. Don’t find fault with God – even to the length of sickness.

Thought for the day: Are you sick? Trust God for your healing.

Song for the day: Heal me oh Lord and I will be healed, save me and I will be saved…..

Bible reading for the day: Numbers 8-10; Mark 5:1-20