The Healing Gift
Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. Acts 19:11-12
How amazing must it have been to see the healing that Paul could do? He didn’t even have to be in the room! A handkerchief or apron could be taken from his body and brought to the person who was sick and they would be healed. Both physical illnesses and spiritual issues could be taken out of the one who suffered.
How much more amazing must it have been to experience this healing? Imagine being at home with a high fever; you are sweating and shivering, your stomach is upset, and your muscles ache. Then a friend comes to you with a handkerchief and tells you that he got this from Paul. All of a sudden you become well. How great would that be?
Now wouldn’t that be neat if we had the same gift or if we could participate in this miraculous healing; helping rid illnesses from many different people? I think most of us would consider the gift of healing to be a fascinating and wondrous gift.
Of course, we do not possess the gift of healing like Paul did. We can not lay hands on people to heal them nor offer someone a piece of our clothing to make them well.
However, we can help with an equally amazing act of healing through the use of the gift of the gospel message. We won’t be removing physical illnesses with this gift, but we can help in the removal of spiritual illnesses.
There are many people in the world who are sick, like we were sick - lost in sin. We have been given a great gift: the cure! And we can (and should) share this healing gift with others. We need to let those in the world know that they are sick and that the Scriptures contain the cure, which is the blood of Christ.
The plan of salvation that we read of in the Bible shows us how our sinful sickness can be cleaned and washed away, leaving our spiritual selves healed. Isn’t it amazing that we can help in this miraculous healing of the soul?
-- John Thrower Jr.