Can God Heal?

​“Come, let us return to the Lord. For He has torn us, and He will heal us; He has wounded us, and He will bind up our wounds. He will revive us after two days, and on the third day He will raise us up so we can live in His presence.”

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭6:1-2‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/72/hos.6.1-2.HCSB

Can God heal? We saw in Hosea 5:14-15 that God will tear His people and wait for their return. When His people recognize their guilt, seek His Face, and search for Him God will indeed heal!

The damage God does to see our repentance will be reversed and blessings will be poured out. The damage the Devil does to get us distracted from God’s plan will be given back to us. The damage we are given by other people will be returned to their heads. The damage we give other people will be returned to us also!

“I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust ate, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust — My great army that I sent against you.”

‭‭Joel‬ ‭2:25‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/72/jol.2.25.HCSB

Did you notice the swarming locust, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust are God’s great army that He sent? But then He will repay us what they devoured. But then why send them? To bring us to repentance! To make us seek His face! 

“Since the days of your fathers, you have turned from My statutes; you have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Hosts. 

But you ask: “How can we return? ” 

“Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! ” 

You ask: “How do we rob You? ” 

“By not making the payments of the tenth and the contributions. You are suffering under a curse, yet you — the whole nation — are still robbing Me. Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this way,” says the Lord of Hosts. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not ruin the produce of your land and your vine in your field will not fail to produce fruit,” says the Lord of Hosts. “Then all the nations will consider you fortunate, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of Hosts.”

‭‭Malachi‬ ‭3:7-12‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/72/mal.3.10.HCSB

The way to return to God is to pay to Him what is His. Now I am talking about money, but also more than money; time, resources, talents, and abilities. It really boils down to obedience. Returning to God requires us to obey God with all we have and not just bearly doing enough to get into heaven. 

Did you see that a lack of giving to God brought out a curse on the nation of Hebrews? Yet God says to give back to Him and test Him in this area. Then He will give back to you what the curse took and what you gave in abundance. 

“There was a man in the country of Uz named Job. He was a man of perfect integrity, who feared God and turned away from evil. He had seven sons and three daughters. His estate included 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man among all the people of the east.”

‭‭Job‬ ‭1:1-3‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/72/job.1.2-3.HCSB

“So the Lord blessed the last part of Job’s life more than the first. He owned 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters. He named his first daughter Jemimah, his second Keziah, and his third Keren-happuch. No women as beautiful as Job’s daughters could be found in all the land, and their father granted them an inheritance with their brothers.”

‭‭Job‬ ‭42:12-15‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/72/job.42.13-15.HCSB

The Devil took everything Job had, but after Job stayed faithful to God through it all then God gave him back double. Even His daughters would bring an above excellent bride price when they were given in marriage. God said, “here you go Job double for your trouble.”

“and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with the waters like a wall to them on their right and their left. 

The Egyptians set out in pursuit — all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen — and went into the sea after them. Then during the morning watch, the Lord looked down on the Egyptian forces from the pillar of fire and cloud, and threw them into confusion. He caused their chariot wheels to swerve and made them drive with difficulty. “Let’s get away from Israel,” the Egyptians said, “because Yahweh is fighting for them against Egypt! ”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭14:22-25‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/72/exo.14.25.HCSB

The Egyptian army did not marvel at the great power of God in the walls of water but their heart was hardened and continued to pursue after the nation of slaves they let go. And they all drowned in the Red Sea. 

“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on Your name.” 

But the Lord said to him, “Go! For this man is My chosen instrument to take My name to Gentiles, kings, and the Israelites. I will show him how much he must suffer for My name! ”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭9:13-16‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/72/act.9.16.HCSB

Here is God’s judgment on Saul, who would be later named Paul. God promises that he will have to suffer for the suffering he caused God’s early Church. Some of his sufferings were his chains and imprisonment. But he had others. 

“Are they servants of Christ? I’m talking like a madman — I’m a better one: with far more labors, many more imprisonments, far worse beatings, near death many times. Five times I received 39 lashes from Jews. Three times I was beaten with rods by the Romans. Once I was stoned by my enemies. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea. On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the open country, dangers on the sea, and dangers among false brothers; labor and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and lacking clothing.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭11:23-27‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/72/2co.11.25-27.HCSB

But the greatest suffering was Paul’s thorn in his flesh. 

“For if I want to boast, I will not be a fool, because I will be telling the truth. But I will spare you, so that no one can credit me with something beyond what he sees in me or hears from me, especially because of the extraordinary revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12:6-7‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/72/2co.12.7.HCSB

Because of his thorn, he was able to stay humble,

So if God tears you will you become bitter or better? When He heals you will you be humbled or puffed up with pride? Remember that if God tears and heals He can tear again!