When the Healer Says No

Why would a post about Yahweh’s power to heal feature a picture of a cemetery? Because sometimes when we pray, He says, “No,” or, “Not the way you expected.”

There’s no getting around it. Barring the Rapture, we’re all going to die. A pastor once said, “We’re all dying. Some are just dying faster than others.” And that’s okay. It’s better than okay. It’s good news. We’re not supposed to live forever in these bodies. Why? Because so long as we’re trapped in our mortal body, we can’t go to our forever home. When the Lord cursed the ground in Genesis 3, He was making a way for us to spend eternity with Him. If we know Him, we’ll shed this body one day and see Him face to face.

Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight— but we are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 2 Cor. 5:6-8

Even though death brings hope of eternity with Jesus, it also brings grief.

When Christopher was born, we weren’t sure he would survive. The Lord answered our prayers for his healing with a resounding, “Yes.” But that’s not always the answer.

In Bolivia, we had a housekeeper named Maribel who came one morning a week. She and I were pregnant at the same time. This was her fifth pregnancy. She’d already lost one baby. Her babies tended to come early. Sure enough, we both delivered prematurely.

The last blog post told of Christopher’s birth. Today, I’ll tell you about Maribel.

Maribel delivered at the general hospital. Her little girl only weighed four pounds. We were all praying for her, and she thrived. After a rocky start, she went home. Meanwhile, Christopher and I flew to San Antonio so he could get state-of-the-art care.

Maribel’s family lived in the altiplano, an inhospitable place with harsh winds, freezing temperatures, and an altitude of close to 14,000 feet. We didn’t know it at the time, but a flood had torn through her one room house, ripping the door from its hinges. She later told us “black splotches” were growing on the walls.

The baby caught a cold. One night, they put her to bed, and she was dead by morning. Why did God take her and spare Christopher?

One more story. Lew’s coworker’s husband was battling a brain tumor. Tomy was an awesome guy with a beautiful family. He had everything to live for. They loved the Lord and believed He would heal Tomy.

While Christopher’s life hung in the balance, Tomy died. Tomy’s widow came to comfort me in the hospital. When she walked in the room, I lost it. The situation seemed so unfair. Why had God taken Tomy?

What about Nabeel Qureshi? He had a wonderful testimony, a powerful ministry, and a beautiful family. He died of stomach cancer at the age of 34. I think it’s safe to say millions of people had prayed for his healing. Why did God say no?

Sometimes, “Why?” is the wrong response. When my “Why?” translates to an accusation, I often get nothing but silence. But when I humbly submit my will to His, I find comfort. He can be trusted, even when the answer is, “No.”