Today we look at the God’s perfect description of sickness, found in John 10:10: It is your enemy and has the sole purpose to steal, kill and destroy.
Do you feel robbed? This verse shows us that God is not the author of your suffering.
By reading this post, you’ll gain an understanding of the three descriptions that God gives sickness which will feed your faith for healing and eliminate any doubt that God wants you well.
Otherwise, you’ll believe one of the many myths: that God is waiting for you to deal with something…..God is teaching you a lesson or chastising you…etc’.
Do you ever call out to God. ‘Why God?…Why did you let this happen?….My life is over….’
The sense of loss can be overwhelming.
Some assume God is teaching them something, disciplining or delaying the healing until they are more refined.
Does that sound familiar?
Are there people in your world telling you that you need to ‘sort stuff out’ before God can heal you? When we hear God for ourselves and learn to trust His voice, we won’t listen to the external.
GOD IS NOT TEACHING YOU SOMETHING.
Of course, you will learn things on the journey and God will undoubtedly heal areas you were unaware of. But this is not the purpose, rather the default if that makes sense?
THE ENEMY COMES BUT TO STEAL, KILL AND DESTROY
Let’s go back to the Garden of Eden
Sickness did not exist. There was no such thing as the enemy and the words steal, kill or destroy were not in Adam and Eve’s vocabulary.
God breathed life into existence and said that ‘it was good’.
Then, you know the story, along comes the devil and all that changed. When the enemy entered the world, he brought sin, sickness and death with him.
So what does God think about sickness?
Barry Bennett from Charis Bible College teaches that God views illness as a ‘curse’, ‘being in captivity’ and ‘an oppression’:
GOD CALLS SICKNESS A CURSE
In Deuteronomy 28 God describes what a curse is.
A curse is the opposite of a blessing. God puts sickness in the same category as plagues, punishment, defeat, poverty, barrenness, destruction, drought, starvation….
The good news is, that the Bible teaches that you and I are redeemed from the curse of the law.
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” ),
Gal 3:13
Job was living with ‘painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head’. Can you imagine spending the rest of your life like this?
The enemy did this to Job because his purpose is to steal, kill and destroy and used a sickness to curse him.
Job was in captivity. If you’re sick in your body or mind today, you’re probably, like Job, living a life of restriction and limitation.
I hope you’re getting a feel for how much God hates sickness and wants you free. It’s important you hate sickness as much if you’re to believe God for a healing.
GOD CALLS SICKNESS AS BEING IN CAPTIVITY
And the LORD turned the captivity of Job
Job 42:10
I remember sitting on the promenade one evening in Northern Ireland. On a certain stretch of the beach were dog owners and their dogs; they were having such fun.
The dog owners were throwing balls or sticks and the dogs had complete freedom to go and fetch.
All except one dog. For some reason, his owner had him on a leash. I could tell of the torment of this dog as he desperately tried to escape.
He could see all the other dogs enjoying their freedom and having lots of fun. There’s nothing worse than the very thing you’re desperate for surrounding you.
I wonder if you can relate to how this poor dog felt.
You may be in a prison of sickness. The enemy seeks to steal, kill and destroy all your hopes and dreams and replace them with a life of restriction and missing out.
The good news is that God promises ‘liberty to the captives’. Luke 4:18 and in Psalm 146:7 ‘The Lord sets the prisoners free’
AMEN! If God set Job free, then how much more you and I under the New Covenant? He wills that we be free.
To hear the groaning of the prisoner, To set free those who were doomed to death
Ps 102:20
GOD SEES SICKNESS AS OPPRESSION
God says if you’re sick, then you’re oppressed meaning you’re on the receiving end of something harsh and unjust.
A bit like the Israelites on the receiving end of the Egyptians.
(Jesus) went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil.
Acts 10:38
This verse explains that those who were sick were oppressed by the enemy. God healed all who were oppressed and I believe he includes us all in that.
The enemy seeks to steal, kill and destroy every moment of our lives whilst we navigate through illness.
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
John 10:10
Let me ask you this. Are you living the abundant life or has sickness robbed you of this? Sickness is an enemy that will steal from your relationships, kill your hopes and dreams and destroy your life.
Have doctors told you, you will be unwell for the rest of your days?
I’m so sorry, but this is not how God views things. If Jesus healed 2000 years ago, I believe He is still healing today.
To sum up, the enemy curses but God blesses. The enemy takes captive but God sets free. The enemy oppresses, but God heals.
Can I encourage you to keep pursuing Jesus for your healing breakthrough? He’s on your side.
How has this post changed your view on what God thinks about sickness?
When you know how much He hates illness, you too will get a Godly anger for your situation.
This may give you the motivation and energy to continue pursuing the healer. He wants this more than you. He’s a good God.
I for one do not want the enemy to succeed in his plans. How about you?
Have a great day
Lorna x
If this has helped you today, why not take a read of