In Sickness and in Health

God is always with us, even when we're sick. I'm sick today, and I got curious (like I always do when I have time to sit and think).

What does the Bible say about sickness?

(Deuteronomy 7:15) - "The Lord will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will inflict them on all who hate you."

Okay. That's a great verse, but not really what I was looking for. Hmm. What else?

(Exodus 23:25-26) - "Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span."

Another great verse. "Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water." I always pray before I eat, thanking the Lord. If there's any doubt about how the food was prepared or something, I always ask a special blessing of protection too. Still not what I was looking for though.

(Psalm 34:29) - "The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all."

That's a great one! Just because we serve God doesn't mean we won't ever have troubles or be ill, but He'll be right with us through them all, and will deliver us.

(Jeremiah 30:17) - "But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds," declares the Lord, 'because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.'"

Okay, in this chapter, God is talking about the restoration of Israel.  I included it because I have a question: Does that mean the verse doesn't apply to me? You know something? I don't know.

I wonder that sometimes. When God is speaking to a specific person, or to Israel does that mean what He said won't apply to me if it's something like this? Maybe. But there is always something to learn, so in some way it will apply to me.

(Proverbs 13:12) - "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."

Interesting. What does that mean? I think it's referring to spiritual longing being fulfilled, because I know I always feel better when I commune with God. Often, I will long to go home so I can have complete silence to do so.

(Proverbs 18:14) - "The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?"

I like that one. Since I'm sick, I'm looking at the first part and reading it as "I will prevail!" Haha.

(Matthew 9:11-12) - "When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, 'Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?' On hearing this, Jesus said, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.'"

This is talking about people who are sick spiritually, but I like the verse anyway.

I know most of the Bible verses about sickness refer to more than just a physical ailment like a summer cold, but I was curious. I really enjoyed finding these! I think my favorite verse from this was Psalm 34:29.

Of course, there are many more verses, and a lot of them are in the New Testament about Jesus healing the sick. God can heal any ailment we have, if we only believe, and ask.