Are you sick and struggling? Throughout the Bible, there are stories of God healing people. This week, we’ll study the Bible and learn the various areas in our lives that may need healing and restoration.
Handout | PowerPoint | Transcript
Father in heaven, as we continue our series on the names of God, and as we look at Yahweh Ropheka, be with us now in Jesus name. Amen.
As a child, did you love to go to the doctor? I hear mixed reviews. In particular, I really didn’t care as long as I got a lollipop. But as I got older, somehow the doctor, eh, I’m feeling fine, I’m good, I don’t need to go. And then as you get older, you get to a certain age and you realize, huh, my body’s not recovering like it did. Little aches and pains, my back, my knees, I’m creaking. And I know some of you are thinking, just you wait, just you wait.
You know, I’m at this age where I’m in the middle. Those who are older think I’m a kid. My niece has no problem saying, you’re old. It’s painful. And yet I can tell there are things about me that are changing. My body is changing. And while I’m not haggard or anything, there’s a difference. I’m not 16 anymore, even 25 now. Going to the doctor sometimes, though, maybe it can be challenging, maybe it can be tedious. The UK did a study some time ago where they surveyed over 2,000 adults, and they said that people do not take their health seriously until about age 38. Around 38. Does that ring a bell? Sound familiar? Okay, maybe some of it was sooner, some of it was older. And the study found that people who are starting to experience the new aches and pains or maybe even reaching that milestone birthday gives them a little bit of thought, maybe I should try to take better care of my health or maybe go to the doctor to make sure everything is okay.
Unfortunately, many of us probably have learned or know of somebody who had a loved one who passed away. That gives us pause. And then we think, I need to take better care of myself. Other times, maybe a famous celebrity also be of some influence to maybe people start to take better care of their health.
Even Dr. Elizabeth Rogers says it can be very easy to disregard your health, particularly when you are young or you feel that everything is okay. I tell you, kids, enjoy your freedom, because when it gets older, it gets harder. Enjoy being able to eat everything that you want right now. Right, Andre? You can get away with it right now. Fifteen years, you’re not. That’s a slow decline. And it starts to get steeper and steeper.
45% of adults don’t really take much notice of their health when they’re younger and then 25% felt that nothing bad would happen to them. And yet 84% feel they took their health for granted when they were younger, and 39% regret not taking care of their health before they reached their mid twenties. Dr. Rogers also adds, maybe even small making even small changes to your exercise regime or diet can make a real difference to both your physical and mental health, as well as helping to prevent future conditions developing. You know, years ago when I started training, I did CrossFit and I think it was like the first week, maybe even the second or third day that I had gone and my co chair mentioned to me that there was a couple who were older and it was their first time really truly exercising and they found muscles that they did not know they had. Not the next day, but two days after when the doms really hit.
Getting out of bed, getting off the couch, getting off the toilet seat had new meaning. And so I made a promise to myself I would train for life. That if I do get to 80, 90, or even 100, I am training so I do not have to struggle to get out of bed. That’s my life goal, right? Not have to struggle to get off the couch or off the toilet. Because as much as possible, I don’t need to win a marathon, but I want to be functional, flexible as I get older. Health is important.
Now today we’re going to look at a story. I want to go to Exodus 15, 22 through 27. And if you’re, if you’re watching online, go ahead and take a screenshot of this. You can come back to it later. We’re going to primarily focus on Exodus, but these extra verses also happen to deal with a particular topic.
But before we actually talk about Exodus 15, we need to start our journey earlier, all the way back. Genesis, chapter 12. And it’s there in chapter 12 that the Lord said to Abram, go from your country, your people, your father’s household, to the land. I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you. I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you for, for all people for and with and all peoples on earth will be blessed through. Now this is the promise, the covenant that God makes with Abraham and by proxy, those of you who know the story, Abraham has a son named Isaac, who also has a son named Jacob, who also is then later called Israel and Jacob. Israel has 12 sons. And one of those sons ends up going where? To Egypt where he becomes essentially prime minister and rules the country because there is this huge, huge famine and drought and everything. And so Joseph’s children settle in this land. 12 kids, that becomes a lot of descendants, grandkids, great grandkids, etc, etc. Now, after a while, they become so prominent in Egypt that the Egyptians are thinking, there’s a lot of them, they could try to take over. Maybe there’s too much influence and somehow, we don’t know exactly, but somehow they managed to enslave the children of Jacob Israel.
And they kept growing and expanding and so much so by the time we find ourselves in Exodus, it’s been several hundred years, hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people. And they are a threat to the Egyptians and they’re held to high standard. If you’re in Sabbath school, you know that earlier we studied about how Moses and Aaron go to Pharaoh and tell Pharaoh we want to take God’s people out so that they may worship him.
And what does Pharaoh say? And as you’ll continue to read through Exodus, Moses shows various signs and finally Pharaoh lets them go. But even as he decides, I don’t want them quite yet to go, he sends his army and they cross what finally to be free? The Red Sea. And after they cross the Red Sea, Miriam breaks in a song. And it’s here we find ourselves now in chapter 15. Okay, Exodus 15, verse 22. They’ve had this great, great celebration. They are finally free. They’ve exited Egypt. Pharaoh has no control over us. Verse 22.
Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the desert of Shur. Shur. I believe it’s a wall. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding what water. Is water important? Yes, especially in the desert. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. This is why the place is called Marah. Side note, what did Naomi call herself after she has lost her husband and she goes back home? In the story of Ruth, Marah, she’s very bitter. So the people grumbled against Moses and said, what are we to do about drinking water? We need water. And it’s true. They have a legitimate concern. Complaint, concern. They can’t just. They have to feed. They have to be able to drink water for themselves, their spouses, their children, those with them, their animals, their flocks, and here.
Then Moses cried out in verse 23, sorry. 25, he cries out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit. Drink The Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them into the test. And he said, if you listen carefully, verse 26, if you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and all of his decrees, I will not bring any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you. I am the Lord who heals you. Yahweh, Ropheka. Then they came to Elim, where there was 12 springs and 70 palms, and they camped there near the water. Finally, they found an oasis.
And yet there’s a promise, especially in verse 26, okay? For I am the Lord who heals you. Imagine being in the minds of the Israelites, where they have been under oppression. They have been forced to work. In fact, in that story too, earlier on in Exodus, when Moses goes back to Pharaoh and says, I’m going to bring the people out. God wants them to go out and worship God. Pharaoh makes it harder and the people become resentful towards Moses and Aaron. Why are you making our lives difficult? But imagine being a slave. And not just you, but your parents, your grandparents, your great grandparents going back several generations. And there’s a mindset. And these people needed to not just be made whole, but they needed to be restored. Much like some of us can probably feel this pain, this frustration. Have you ever felt pressured? Have you ever felt enslaved?
Have you ever felt tired, exhausted, worn out, healing? Now, Ropheka comes from the word, the root word, rapha, which means to heal or to restore. And not only that, the Israelites, God is about to meet with them, give him a set of instructions, eventually stating, this is how you are to treat me and how you are to treat others. He has to start from the very beginning. Even though they were Israelites, they had some sense of their identity. They had been living in Egypt for so long, God has to start all over. Now, when it comes to health, there are several aspects. Okay, sorry. Refeca comes from the root word rapha, which means to heal or restore. There’s five areas of health.
There’s the physical, the mental, emotional, spiritual. And now I want to actually add social. I’m sure there’s more, but this is what we’re going to focus on today, okay? There’s a physical, making sure that, hey, are you eating well? Are you drinking enough water?
Are you getting enough sleep? The very basics, maybe even getting exercise. These are areas of health that are just the basic bottom line, the minimum requirements. How do you think the Israelites Felt physically when they had been working so hard, back breaking effort. In the story of Exodus, they were making what? Bricks. Lots and lots of bricks. Meaning they had to carry stuff. It’s hard work, in the sun, in the cold, all for the Pharaoh. They were building his empire.
And then you have the mental stress that they experienced, making sure that they keep up with the demand. And when the demand goes up even higher earlier in Exodus, they get frustrated. Imagine as well not being able to have much control in your life. And what control you do have, maybe you exert it around those around you, thus causing even more stress. Does that happen today?
Your physical health leads to your mental health. And with your mental health also, all these things also affect what Your emotional health. When you’re stressed, you get irritated, angry, frustrated. Although if you have great health, then you can be joyful, you can be happy, and sometimes it goes up and down.
Physical, mental, emotional, also informs your spiritual health. Can you be spiritually inclined if you’re tired, if you’re hungry, if you’re irritated, if you’re anxious, if you’re sleep deprived? Can you be a faithful, happy servant of God if you’re angry and frustrated? Do you want to hang around an angry Christian? I’d rather walk away because I don’t want to deal with that, right? Doesn’t mean that we abandon that person. It means that somebody, that person needs help. But dealing with prickly people is that easy. It takes patience. And lastly, socially, I think social, meaning having a group of people that you connect with on a regular basis is also vital for your health. Because socially you have friends who can help bring you joy. You’re more inclined to laugh when you’re with somebody else, right?
Think about it. When you’re with your friends, what do you try to do? Especially if you’re guys, you always try to outdo one another by trying to make each other smile or laugh, right? And so there’s reasons why we should have friends and people in our lives. So all of these things are also affecting the Israelites.
And it wasn’t just for them, but it’s also for us. All of these things are important for our health, not just through the Israelites, but also for us. Now, what does this all mean then? What is it that we can do to take practical steps? Number one, when it comes to your health, pray and trust in God’s ability to heal you, to help you, okay?
But it takes action. It’s a decision that you have to make. Lord, I want to get well and I want to stay healthy. You see the difference? It’s like, oh, I hope I get well. No, there’s no difference. Sorry. There is a big difference between I want to get healthy and to take steps forward. So pray and trust in God’s ability to heal you. Secondly, ask for help.
If you want to get well, go to somebody who is educated in health. Okay? A doctor. Or if there’s a specific area that you need help. If you break your bone, you should probably go to the doctor. Right? Or maybe I want to eat better. Meet with somebody, research, find healthy recipes that you can cook. Be proactive, but ask for help.
And then also, as it says, as well, be faithful and apply God’s teachings and principles and wisdom in your life. Is there anything we can learn about healthy living in Scripture? Oh, I got one. Yes. I got a few nods. Absolutely. Okay. Scripture talks about healthy principles of living, but it also talks about how to deal with difficult people. Right. You have that social part of the equation. How do you love somebody who’s prickly and unlovable? Should you love them? Yes. Okay, but how do you deal with individuals? How do you deal with subordinate who just doesn’t do things right? Number one, you got to take ownership. How am I. How am I leading this person? Am I equipping this person? Did Jesus not equip the disciples and then send them out? Did they always get it right? No, but Jesus was patient with them and he taught them. He mentored them in scripture. Are there verses out there that we can read and we can remember and when we’re going through the challenges of life, we can recall them and be reminded of them when times are difficult?
Absolutely. So scriptures, God’s principles, God’s teaching apply to our lives. That can help bring us healing. And God says, if we are faithful, God will heal and restore us. God can heal and restore us.
I was talking about laughter earlier. When’s the last time you laughed? Seriously, like, when’s the last time you hit? Last time you had a real good, hearty laugh. I’m going to admit last week I was watching something funny and I just started laughing. It was so funny. And you know what? It felt so good. It felt really good. I love being around people because they bring out joy, they bring out laughter. I love being with my friends. Sometimes we’ll send each other funny pictures. And it’s good to have that network because laughter, I think laughter is vital for good health. Laughter, what does it do? It reduces what? It reduces the stress. It can help give you a better mood. Right. And actually humor Strengthens relationships. Shared humor is a good thing. It improves communication. Sometimes if you’re in a very difficult conversation, maybe a little appropriate humor can help the conversation. Right. But it also builds cohesion. And laughter, literally helps you become healthier. It builds immunity. Even if you’re in pain, a good laugh can help you overcome the pain. And laughter also says. They say laughter also improves your heart. And when you’re laughing, you’re more.
So the last thing as well is pray for and encourage others who are struggling. Maybe you’ve been on the journey and you have experience. Share your lessons with somebody else. I’ve been very fortunate. As you know, my sister has been going through some issues with cancer, and she’s doing much better.
And again, thank you for those who are praying for you, praying for her. But I was very fortunate as well. We have some brothers and sisters here who’ve gone through a similar journey. And when I asked, would you be willing to reach out and talk to her? They automatically said, yes. And I’m very fortunate to have individuals like that, not only for her, but for me. Just to know that there are people who care and want to help. I’ll tell you, there’s nothing more than being a blessing or being able to help somebody. There’s no better feeling than that because it is so much better when you can give back and just share it as a token of love to be encouraging, if anything, just to listen or to affirm somebody who’s going through a very scary situation. So where you can pray for and encourage others who are struggling so broadly when it comes to health, pray and trust in God’s ability to heal you, but ask and seek help.
Ask for and seek help. Be faithful and apply God’s teachings and principles and wisdom in your life and pray for and encourage others who are struggling. Now, some of you are also probably wondering, well, Pastor, what if? What if God just doesn’t heal me? I know there are some as well who are wondering, well, I prayed.
My brother, my good friend, somebody important in your life still ended up passing away. I promise you this. While they may not have been healed now, they will be healed later and they will be restored. And though it is painful and hard, when you can’t hear their jokes or receive that warm hug or maybe the corny humor, you still love them anyways. I do promise you that God does bring healing and restoration. And there are some times too where maybe there are some things that I don’t want to say it’s good, but even Paul had a thorn in his flesh. And it was a reminder to keep him humble.
So in some ways, pain and challenges in life, number one, they keep us dependent on God. I’m not saying that that’s a good thing. I’m not saying that I want you all to be in suffering. That’s not what I’m saying. But sometimes it gives us perspective every once in a while to remember when things are good. To number one, appreciate them. Okay? It’s good to be able to walk around. It’s good to be able to breathe. It’s good to be around people that you can joke with and enjoy life with. And together we can support one another.
God can work a miracle in your life. But God also wants us to make good, intentional, healthy decisions. There’s a video that kind of popped up earlier this week, and somebody said, I believe that God, I’m in the testing phase, and God is trying to refine me. Hold it. The other thought was, well, it could also be that maybe your choices in life are also making life difficult, Right? Or maybe, let’s be very honest, God is taking people away from me. I’m losing my circle because I’m drawing closer to God. Or maybe you’re a difficult, prickly person and people don’t want to deal with you. And sometimes it might be both.
What I’m saying, friends, is make good, healthy, conscious decisions in your life. God wants to bless you, and God wants to help you do wonderful, great, beautiful things. But we have to be intentional about our health as well. You look around, there are many people. We’re all. In some ways, we’re connected. If not, we are dealing with health issues. Even myself. Okay? Been on a journey to try to fix some things, and it’s so frustrating because it requires intentionality. And you know what I want? I want to be healed now. And sometimes it’s a process, it’s a journey. But let us work together. Let us listen to one another, encourage one another, and maybe ask myself, is there anywhere that I can grow? Ask questions of yourself. How am I growing? Am I drawing closer to God as it says in Exodus 15:26? If you listen to me, listen to my principles and heed my words and apply them to your life, God can heal and restore you. So which of the five areas of your of health, Physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social, do you need healing, restoration? Okay, maybe it’s one. Maybe it’s all five. All right, I need all five sometimes. Where do you need healing and restoration? This week, follow through on the action steps that we talked about.
Pray and ask God for help. Seek help. Okay? And trust that God has your best interest at heart. May Yahweh Revecca heal and restore you.
May God bless you. Father in heaven, thank you for you are good and you are awesome. You are all knowing. You are a God. You are master physician.
Lord God, there are many areas in our life, whether physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and even social, that we need healing and restoration. Help us to be cognizant and take responsibility, Lord, and take steps and to trust in you for our healing and restoration. And Lord, as we continue to partner together, Lord, help us to be a vessel of hope in Downey and wherever we are. In Jesus name. Everybody said grace and peace.