Dolly's Sharing

Introduction

As Christians, we believe that God heals and has the power to restore. But what happens when healing doesn’t come quickly, or if it doesn’t come at all? What do we do in seasons of silence… seasons when our faith is tested by delay? How do we glorify God when we’re still waiting, still believing… and still hurting?

When we hear the name Jehovah Rapha, many of us think immediately of physical healing. Jehovah Rapha means “The LORD who heals.” He is the God who heals, restores, and makes whole. Yet His healing goes beyond our physical bodies. He restores our emotions and spiritual lives. He brings healing to every area of brokenness, from individuals to nations.

The first time God revealed Himself as “I am the LORD who heals you” wasn’t in a hospital room or beside a sickbed, but in the wilderness at a place called Marah. Let’s see what happened in Exodus 15:22-25:

“After crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites entered the wilderness. For three days, they journeyed under the scorching desert sun without finding water. Imagine their exhaustion. Imagine their thirst. Then, in the distance, they saw something that filled them with hope – water! They had arrived at Marah. Excitement swept through the camp as they rushed toward it.

But the moment they tasted the water, their joy turned to disappointment. It was bitter. It was undrinkable. Frustration soon replaced faith. The people began to grumble against Moses, and Moses cried out to the Lord. God showed him a piece of wood and told him to throw it into the water. Moses obeyed, and immediately the bitter water became sweet.”

Then in verse 26, God said: “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in His eyes, and give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your Healer.”

God wasn’t merely changing the water. He was teaching His people to trust Him. Although they had witnessed His power through the Exodus and the parting of the Red Sea, they still struggled to trust Him when new trials came. In the same way, God uses our struggles to deepen our faith, shape our character, and draw us closer to Him.

Perhaps some of us are in a Marah season today. Maybe you’re waiting for healing… waiting for an answer… waiting for God to open a door. The circumstances may still feel bitter. How then can we faithfully glorify God while we wait?

Today, I want to share three truths about Jehovah Rapha. I believe these truths will encourage us as we wait.

• God heals us – His healing reaches every area of our brokenness.
• God sustains us – His grace is sufficient for us.
• God restores us – Our ultimate restoration is in the presence of Jesus Christ.

1. God heals us.

Marah reminds us that God can use the bitter seasons of our lives to transform us. He doesn’t only work around us; He also works within us.

When I first received this topic, I planned to share testimonies of God’s healing because He has healed me in many ways. But as I prayed, the Lord redirected my heart. He reminded me that not everyone experiences immediate healing. Some are still waiting… still praying…

Then I found myself asking: “Lord, how do I point people to You when they’re still in pain?” And He impressed upon my heart that this message isn’t merely about receiving healing; it’s about knowing the Healer. The deeper question isn’t “When will I be healed?” but “How do I glorify God while I wait?”

This became personal to me during a difficult season of my life. It began with what seemed like a simple knee problem. I assumed it was just a minor injury that would improve with time. But as the pain persisted, I realised it was more than just a minor injury.

After undergoing medical tests, I received an unexpected diagnosis. What I thought was merely a knee problem turned out to be an autoimmune condition. It’s a condition where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy cells and tissues. While symptoms may improve and affected areas can recover, the underlying disease often remains.

As the condition worsened, walking became increasingly painful. But what grieved me most wasn’t the pain itself – it was the thought: “What if I can no longer kneel before God?” Because kneeling had become an expression of my worship, my surrender… and my way of saying, “Lord, You are worthy.” So I prayed: “Father God, please heal me, so I can kneel before You again.”

God didn’t remove the autoimmune disease… but He graciously restored my knees. In His kindness, He enabled me to kneel before Him again. As I look back, I see that He was doing something far greater. Before He restored my knees, He was already healing my soul – teaching me patience in the waiting, humility in weakness, and the peace that comes from resting in His grace. His healing went deeper than what people could see, reaching places only He could touch.

Just as God used Marah not only to sweeten the water but to reveal Himself, He used my season of suffering to deepen my understanding of who He is. I came to know Him not only as the God who heals, but also the God who is faithful in every season, sufficient in my weakness, and present even in the waiting.

How do we glorify God while we wait? We glorify Him by entrusting every part of our lives to Him – our bodies, our emotions, and our spirits. Because even before our circumstances change, we can trust that Jehovah Rapha is already at work within us.

2. God sustains us

God’s work within us doesn’t mean the waiting is over. Sometimes the waiting continues, and our prayers seem unanswered. So what does Jehovah Rapha do while we wait? He sustains us.

In 2 Corinthians 12:8–9, Paul pleaded with God three times to remove the “thorn in the flesh.” But instead of removing it, God said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” God did not remove the thorn, but He gave Paul grace to endure and strength to keep going.

This sustaining grace marked Paul’s entire life. Through storms, shipwrecks, imprisonments, and countless hardships, God’s grace enabled him not merely to survive, but to persevere and continue serving faithfully.

The same is true for us. God doesn’t always deliver us from every struggle, but He faithfully carries us through it. Even in my own life, though God has healed me in many ways, I still live with two autoimmune conditions. I continue to face ongoing challenges and days of weakness. But I have learned this: His faithfulness is seen not only in healing but also in sustaining.

The greatest testimony is not always that God removed the trial, but that the trial did not destroy us. Despite living with autoimmune conditions affecting my joints and skin, God has preserved me from the irreversible damage and deformities these diseases could have caused. He has given me strength for each day, peace in uncertainty, and hope when I was tempted to lose heart.

Like Paul, I can say: God is not finished with me yet. Jehovah Rapha is not only the God who heals; He is also the God who sustains. And as I depend on Him in my weakness, my life becomes a testimony – not of my endurance, but of His faithfulness.

So back to the question – how do we glorify God while we wait? We glorify Him by trusting His purposes above our preferences… by continuing to serve Him faithfully, and resting in His sustaining grace. For me, it meant surrendering to His will, remaining faithful in worship and service, and learning to depend on His grace.

3. God restores us.

Both God’s healing and His sustaining grace point us to something even greater – our complete restoration through Jesus Christ.

At Marah, God first revealed Himself as the LORD who heals. But in Jesus Christ, we see the fullest revelation of Jehovah Rapha. Jesus healed the sick, opened blind eyes, made the lame walk, and restored broken lives. Yet He didn’t come merely to heal bodies. He came to restore people to God.

We see this clearly in Mark 2:3-5. Before Jesus healed the paralytic, He said, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Before addressing the man’s physical condition, Jesus dealt with the deepest need first – the need for forgiveness and reconciliation with God. Then He healed him physically, demonstrating His authority over both sin and sickness.

And here is the truth we must hold on to: The Kingdom of God has been revealed through Jesus Christ, though its fullness is still to come. That’s why we continue to pray for healing because Jesus still heals today. Some of us may receive healing in this life. Others may wait longer than expected. Yet every believer has this assurance: because Christ rose from the dead, sickness will never have the final word.

Even if our earthly bodies grow weak through sickness or old age, we have nothing to fear. For those who belong to Christ, death is not the end. It’s the doorway into His presence. As Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:8, “to be absent from the body” is “to be present with the Lord.” What greater comfort could there be than to see our Saviour face to face – the One who loved us, gave Himself for us, and has been with us through every step of our journey?

The greatest gift of heaven is not merely the absence of pain, but the presence of Christ. The One who walked with us through every bitter Marah will welcome us into His eternal joy, where healing is complete, restoration is perfect.

So how do we glorify God while we wait? By fixing our eyes on Jesus rather than only on the healing we desire. Our greatest hope is Christ Himself. In Him, we have His presence today and the promise of eternal life. One day, He will raise us with glorified bodies. There will be no more pain… no more sickness, sorrow or death – only perfect wholeness and everlasting joy in His presence.

Conclusion

In conclusion, let us return to the question we began with: “How can we faithfully glorify God while we wait?”

We glorify Him:

• by trusting Him even before our circumstances change,
• by depending on His grace and serving Him faithfully,
• and by fixing our hope on Jesus Christ, our ultimate Restorer.

We lean on His wisdom, knowing that His will is always good, even when we don’t understand His ways. And instead of asking only, “Lord, when will I be healed?” may we also ask, “Lord, what are You teaching me in this season? How are You drawing me closer to Yourself?”

Whether He heals today, sustains us tomorrow, or restores us fully in eternity, Jehovah Rapha is enough. Our confidence isn’t found in knowing when healing will come, but in knowing Jesus Christ, the One who walks with us through every season, Emmanuel, God with us.

So may we continue to trust Him, worship Him, and glorify Him while we wait. For He alone is worthy of all glory, honour, and praise, now and forever.  Amen.

(Shared at Sunday service on 26 July 2026)