Jehovah Rophe/Rapha Who is our King? Part III
My daughter has spent much of her adult life as a medical ICU nurse. After some time off for having a couple of major surgeries, she dove back into the deep end, serving in a very COVID populated ICU throughout 2020 and 2021. As proud as this mama’s heart was of her, it was hard to grasp what she was dealing with daily.
As a nurse, she is tasked with caring for her patients’ entire well-being; physical, emotional, and even spiritual. Her patients were alone without family or friends to sit beside them, encourage them, or hold their hands. Many of them could not communicate, because they were intubated. Most did not realize the blessing of the tender loving care of this nurse, placed in their lives by the Great Healer, as she administered lifesaving medications and breathing treatments.
They did not know that as she quietly went about her work, caring for their every need, she was beseeching Jehovah Rophe on their behalf. Many did not know she was silently singing the songs and hymns that have comforted her throughout her life. Some heard her humming and asked her to come closer and sing to them. She did.
God, Himself, has given her the gifts that she uses every day. He has given the doctors skills and knowledge, but still, much about the human body is a mystery.
Throughout Scripture God is referred to as our healer. He is the God who heals.
Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalms 103
PSALM 147:3 Says He is the Rophe (healer) of the brokenhearted. He is the one who bandages their wounds.
We don’t know what healing will look like. Maybe God gives you grace to endure. Maybe you or a loved one enjoys physical healing. Maybe God chooses to remove your thorn in the flesh.
Paul was given a thorn in the flesh to remind him of his redemption and his dependence on God.
Our healing may not be from a physical ailment; it may be spiritual healing, release from a bad habit that has had a strangle hold on us. It may be emotional healing or a supernatural ability to forgive others as He has forgiven us.
My dear Aunt Jean loved Jesus more than anything in this world. Her life reflected that, but it was not without trials or pain. When she was at my home for her very last Christmas on earth, as I helped her into bed, I asked her if I could do anything else for her. She said “pray for me to not be in pain.” I prayed for her that night and continued to in the months to come.
I prayed that she would be free from pain and that she would be able to have joy in her circumstances. Months later, as I prayed for her to be free from pain, I immediately had an overwhelming thought. For Aunt Jean to be completely healed, she would be in Heaven. In my heart, I knew this would make her joy complete. The very next day she met Jehovah Rophe, her healer, face to face, never to experience pain again.
Our bodies and minds are human and frail. We are all in a state of diminishment, but 2 Corinthians 4:16 says “We do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.” Every day in these messed up earthly bodies is one day closer to heaven because we are redeemed.
Whatever season you are in, know that Jehovah Rophe is the God who heals because He is the God who hears. He hears your cry, knows your pain, and wants to bring you peace even in the Valley of the Shadow of Death. Psalms 23
Know that if you are reading this, you have been prayed for.
Feel free to connect with me by leaving a comment, signing up to receive this blog right into your inbox or email me at soulwater@kerilynnwillis.com.
My name is Keri Willis. I am a semi-retired educator. I spent a great deal of my career working with adults with developmental disabilities and many years in elementary education, in the classroom and as an administrator. My main ministry now is coordinating the women’s ministry for our church in San Diego, CA. I have been married thirty-four years and have two grown and married children. I now have a head of full grey hair and good ideas.
I believe we are created to use our gifts and to be creative. That comes in many forms for me. I love to woodwork and use power tools, design, decorate, garden, and create new recipes. And I love to write. One major lesson I have learned in my writing journey is that I need to be still and listen to hear God’s voice before I am prepared to put into words the message he has instilled in my heart. This has been much easier since I am no longer working full time, but it is so easy to get distracted and not listen, which almost always ends with an empty page in the form of writer’s block.
While I have written many articles for newsletters and local newspapers, I did not consider myself a writer until I self-published my first book, Teapots and Power Tools. https://www.amazon.com/Teapot…/dp/1466458763/ref=sr_1_3…
The idea emerged as I was working on a project in my garage. I had worship music playing, power tools out and saw dust flying. I glanced up and saw my delicate teapot sitting on my router table. The message was clear. Sometimes we are using the power tools God gives us and sometimes he just wants us to be still and have tea with him. The book became the foundation for a women’s retreat, and then my amazing niece helped me work through publishing it on Create Space (now KDP).
At least five other projects are in different stages of production. I joined hope*writers to help motivate me and keep me focused and accountable. I am still trying to figure out the whole website and blog thing. That is my next goal for myself; that and finish writing at least one of my projects!
Teapots and Power Tools: Effectively using the tools God has equipped you with, while taking time to “Be Still and Know That He is God”
View more posts
