Good Medicine

Good morning!

Gilead was a region east of the Jordan River, about 20 by 60 miles in area.  When the Israelites conquered Canaan, the tribes of Gad and Reuben settled the area.  It became a region where medicinal ointments and balms (salves) were produced from the local plant life.

In Jeremiah 8:22, the prophet laments,

"Is there no balm in Gilead?  Is there no physician there?  Why then is there no healing for the wounds of my people?"  

These woeful questions occurred in conjunction with God telling him that Babylon would take the Jews into captivity.  Basically, Jeremiah was asking, "Is there no cure?  Is there no remedy for this situation?"

When Christ Jesus came and began His earthly ministry, He healed many people of their sicknesses, both physical and spiritual, even raising people from the dead.  I'm so glad those stories are in the Bible.  The sheer volume of them are convincing evidence that Jesus is God Himself.  He proved Himself to be the "God of the Impossible", even before He rose from the dead, the ultimate healing.

Many of the African slaves brought to the United States in the 1600s and 1700s heard the gospel message and became Christians.  That, in itself, is testimony to the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  If I were a slave, I doubt I would willingly become a convert to the religion of the one who snatched me from my home and enslaved me.  Yet, we have the evidence of this in the beautiful Negro spirituals that have endured for over 200 years.

There is a Balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul.
There is a Balm in Gilead,
To make the wounded whole.
Sometimes I feel discouraged
And think my work's in vain
But then, the Holy Spirit
Revives my soul again.

This hymn appeared in a book of Negro spirituals around 1800, although its original authorship is uncertain.  Regardless, it hearkens back to Jeremiah's question and testifies to the soul-healing power of Jesus Christ, which is the ultimate "balm in Gilead".  Despite our best efforts and all of modern medicine, no plant derivative will cure all our diseases.  Our bodies will eventually fail, releasing our souls into eternity.  If Jesus has healed the soul, though, that soul will live with Him forever.  I am so grateful for this truth.

In Revelation 22:1-5, the apostle John saw a glimpse of Heaven.  There he saw a river that contains the water of life.  On its banks, he saw the Tree of Life.  Look at those verses:

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river,was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  Sickness and sin are related.  Sickness, both physical and spiritual, is the consequence of our living in a sin-sick, fallen world.  Jesus is our Healer, the Great Doctor.  He can heal us now, in all the ways that matter, for eternity.  And only Jesus, and the Life He IS, can "heal the nations".  The "curse" referred to in the passage above is the sin-curse, which will not exist in Heaven.

So-o-o-o many people think that they can never be healed of their soul's diseases.  This is a lie, straight from the pit of Hell.  These precious souls are held captive by this satanic deception.  They do not believe that anyone, not even Jesus, can heal them.  They believe that they are "too far gone". If that is you, today, believe the truth of the gospel!  If Jesus could and WOULD heal the thief who hung on the cross beside Him, without hesitation, without question, He can and will heal you! Believe it and receive eternal transformation, eternal healing for your soul!  There IS a Balm in Gilead.

Dear Father, I cannot thank you enough for healing me.  With Job, I can exclaim and affirm, "And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God.  I myself will see Him with my own eyes, I and not another.  How my heart yearns within me!"  (Job 19:26-27).  Hallelujah!  In Jesus' name, amen.