His Heart, My Home

Our loving Father-God is ever-merciful, and unfailingly compassionate. He truly longs to bring healing and wholeness to every person who suffers from sickness, disease, and pain.

He said in Exodus 15:26:

“For I, the Lord, am your Physician.”
(Leeser Translation)

“I am the Lord, your Life-Giver.”
(Basic English Translation)

“I, the Lord, will bring you only health.”
(Knox Translation)

Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, announced His earthly ministry in His hometown synagogue at Nazareth, with these words:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18,19, NKJV)

Take special notice of the verbs here, because they describe the actions Jesus would be taking in His earthly ministry before His death, burial, and resurrection:
1. PREACH
2. HEAL
3. PREACH or PROCLAIM (depends on the translation)
4. SET AT LIBERTY
5. PREACH or PROCLAIM (same as above)

We can see Jesus’ strategy was to preach, heal, preach, set at liberty, and preach (some more)!

Teaching, preaching, and proclaiming the gospel was the heartbeat of Jesus’ ministry. The untold number of healings, deliverances, miracles, signs and wonders that took place, were the
end-result of the Word.

“He sends forth His Word, and heals them, and rescues them from the pit and destruction.”
(Psalm 107:20, Amplified, Classic Edition)

There are at least two parallel illustrations of the “Word- Healing Connection” that immediately come to mind:

In the first, a human heart (like the Word) sends blood (healing miracles) to sustain the cells of the body.

In the second, a tree (like the Word) sends sap to produce fruit (healing miracles).

In both these examples, there is a vitally important intermediary system that makes it all work.

In the first example, it is the circulatory system, which brings blood, that is rich in oxygen and nutrients, from the heart to the body.

In the second, it is the branches, which bring the life-giving sap, from the roots and the main trunk of the tree, to its fruit.

As you consider this second example, think of the tree of life, once planted in Eden, and seen again in heaven, bearing healing fruit for the nations. (Revelation 22:1,2)

OUR MAIN POINT: Like the circulatory system and the tree branches in our examples, the delivery system between the Spirit-anointed spoken Word and miraculous manifestations of healing is the “hearing heart”.

A hearing heart is an open and receptive heart, a heart that understands and welcomes God’s Word. A hearing heart releases, and facilitates the healing effects of God’s Word.

Unfortunately, there were some in Jesus’ day, especially the religious leaders, who failed to understand, and appreciate the immeasurable value of His Word. Jesus spoke of them like this:

(Matthew 13:14-17, Passion Translation)
¹⁴ “Although they (those with unteachable hearts) listened carefully to everything I speak, they don’t understand a thing I say. They look and pretend to see, but the eyes of their hearts are closed. ¹⁵ Their minds are dull and slow to perceive. Their ears are plugged and are hard of hearing, and they have deliberately shut their eyes to the truth. Otherwise, they would open their eyes to see, and open their ears to hear, and open their minds to understand. Then they would turn to me and I would instantly heal them. ¹⁶ But blissful are your eyes, for they see. Delighted are your ears, for they are open to hear all these things. ¹⁷ Many prophets and godly people yearned to see these days of miracles that you’ve been favored to see. They would have given everything to hear the revelation you’ve been favored to hear.”

An example of a group without a “hearing heart” is recorded in Mark 6:1-6:
“¹ Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.
² And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! ³ Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” And they were offended at Him. ⁴ But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” ⁵ Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. ⁶ And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.”

Notice that the Bible doesn’t say that Jesus “would not” perform mighty miracles in Nazareth. It tells us that He “could not” because of unbelief! This is what happens when the Word is ignored or rejected.

Hearing and healing go together. Let’s look at some of the many positive examples of this in Jesus’ ministry, and also in His instructions to the teams of disciples He sent forth.

Notice the key words in the scriptures below: teaching, preaching, hearing, and healing. And notice their order. Healing always comes after teaching, preaching, and hearing:

(Matthew 4:23) And Jesus went about all Galilee teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.

(Matthew 9:35) Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

(Matthew 10:7,8) And as you go, preach, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received freely give.

(Luke 5:15) …great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.

(Luke 5:17) …He was teaching…and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

(Luke 6:17,18) ¹⁷ And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, ¹⁸ as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed.

(Luke 9:1,2,6) ¹Then He called His twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. ² He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

Whenever Jesus and His disciples taught or preached the Word of God, a supernatural chain-
reaction began. The Word created faith in the hearts of those who really heard. And that faith was the “genesis-seed” of countless healing miracles!

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”
(Romans 10:17, NKJV)

“Faith, then, is birthed in a heart that responds to God’s anointed utterance (i.e. God’s Word)…”
(The Passion Translation)

” So then faith is awakened by the message…”
(New English Bible)

“For the word of God is living and active and full of power, making it operative, energizing, and effective. (Hebrews 4:12, Amplified Bible)

The lesson for us is clear. In order to receive our healing and wholeness, we must let Holy Spirit open our eyes and ears to the reality of the miraculous power of God’s Word.

We must turn our backs on religious doubt and unbelief, then welcome and cherish God’s healing Word as it is planted in our hearts.

The faith that is thus conceived in us will live and grow stronger each day as we meditate, speak and act upon the Word!

Hold on to God’s Word!

Your miracle of healing is on the way!