May we never take for granted the medical miracles He continues to provide us, and may we always give Him the glory for every breath, every breakthrough and every life saved.
I often am asked as a Christian physician if I have ever witnessed miraculous healings. The answer is yes…but the reality is, so have you! God continues to heal in miraculous and unexplainable ways – He continues to heal every day through the provision of clinicians, medicines and wondrous medical advancements. Yet how often do we stop to give thanks to God for those miraculous provisions – for things so commonplace nowadays that we risk taking them for granted?
1. Medical Breakthroughs
For example, we recognize recent breakthroughs in treating cystic fibrosis as miraculous. A fearsome disease that once severely limited children's life expectancy now has treatments that significantly improve both lifespan and quality of life. Guided by God’s almighty hand, scientists and clinicians worked tirelessly for decades to develop therapies that target the root cause of the disease, and we give thanks to Him for their successes.
Consider also the recent revolutionary treatment for sickle cell anemia, a condition that affects tens of thousands of people in the United States and millions of people in Africa. For countless generations, this disease has caused unimaginable suffering, but through God’s provision of medical knowledge – particularly as it relates to our understanding of the human genome – scientists have developed potentially curative gene therapies. These breakthroughs are nothing short of miraculous, and they serve as powerful reminders that He is still the God who heals.
2. The Benefits of Clean Water
But healing is not only found in high-tech treatments or cutting-edge research. We also give thanks to God for commonplace things such as clean water. Even into the 19th century, waterborne diseases like cholera and typhoid devastated communities due to contaminated water supplies. Today, thanks to advancements in sanitation and water purification, these deadly illnesses are largely eradicated in most of the world, relegated to the history books. Clean water in – dirty water out – so critical for human flourishing. Access to clean water is one of God’s greatest blessings, yet how often do we stop to appreciate it?
3. Availability of Pain Relief Medications
Let us not forget to thank God for the abundance of safe and effective over-the-counter medications, recognizing too that these have not been available for the bulk of human history. How many of us have experienced a headache or back pain, for example, and have experienced relief with a medicine such as Tylenol? These everyday remedies bring relief to millions, allowing them to function, work and enjoy life. These medications often are taken for granted, but they are yet another way God has provided for our well-being.
4. Remarkable Technological Advancements
Consider also the remarkable progress in treating heart diseases. So much of what was once a death sentence can now be managed, and even reversed, thanks to medical interventions. Just a few decades ago, for example, untreatable heart attacks claimed countless lives, but nowadays, routine procedures involving stents and bypass operations save millions of lives – and often through minimally-invasive approaches! I personally would not be alive today without such cardiac interventions, and I know many in our Medi-Share community of believers can say the same. These advancements are a direct reflection of God's provision and grace.
5. Accessibility of Information
In addition to breakthroughs in medicines and technologies, we must also give God thanks for the increased access to knowledge and education about health and wellness -- something relatively new in human history. Nowadays, information about diet, exercise and disease prevention is more accessible than ever before, empowering the public to take better care of their bodies as God’s temples.
For some, the idea of recognizing God’s work in modern medicine may feel like a contradiction. But the reality is that faith and medicine are not opposing forces; they work in harmony. God heals in many ways – for example, through doctors and nurses, hospitalizations, operations, physical therapies and even something as simple as nutritious meals. To view medical advancements as separate from His power is to miss the larger picture of how He cares for His people.
The psalmist proclaims, "The heavens declare the glory of God" (Psalm 19:1) – all of creation revealing God’s handiwork and reflecting the majesty of His power. God’s power also is revealed in His healing works. Jesus in His earthly ministry was moved with compassion and performed innumerable healing miracles. He is the ultimate healer, capable of restoring our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being – all these aspects working together, just as He created.
We see this truth too in the very way our bodies are designed. God built healing into our DNA. Our immune systems fight off germs. When we get a cut, our skin regenerates. Broken bones mend themselves. Our organs constantly renew damaged cells. This innate ability to recover is a testament to the healing nature of our Creator.
If God designed our bodies to heal themselves, is it so hard to believe that He also provided the knowledge to develop medicines? He has gifted scientists and clinicians the knowledge to develop treatments that save lives. Moreover, as Christians we want to live both healthy and holy lives, so that we may be well enough to serve God with our whole being, and in doing so reflect Jesus to those around us. Modern medicines therefore are not an enemy of faith, but an extension of God's provision.
Thus, it is not a lack of faith to consult physicians, take medicines or undergo operations. God still works through supernatural healing, and we should pray with expectant faith for miracles. But we should also give thanks for the miracles that arrive in hospital rooms, in the form of skilled hands and groundbreaking treatments.
God is a healing God, and He has not stopped healing His people. Sometimes His miracles come in ways we don't expect. But whether through a divine touch or through the hands of a physician, nurse or other caregiver, healing remains His gift to us. May we never take for granted the medical miracles He continues to provide us, and may we always give Him the glory for every breath, every breakthrough and every life saved.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/AsiaVision
Ian Day, M.D., serves as Chief Medical Officer for Medi-Share, the foremost faith-based healthcare-sharing platform nationwide, with a membership base of more than 350,000 individuals. Medi-Share is committed to a wholistic approach to biblical wellness, helping members live healthy and holy lives.
