I believe I am meant to walk in divine health, but to get there and stay there, I cannot live with one foot in the Kingdom and one in the world. What I mean by this is I learned to trust God and not conventional medicine. I know not everyone would agree that it’s a good idea, and that’s okay. I’m not here to get approval. I would also point out that the only reason I would even consider going to a doctor is if I had a catastrophic injury (this is true for many people) – and even then the doctor’s only job is to stabilize me so that I can heal. Don’t misunderstand me, I love and appreciate doctors because they are gifted by God to do what they do. I also appreciate them because I served as a Navy Corpsman and understand what it means to care for someone’s medical needs in a crisis situation. But I’m well aware of Who does the healing. I will share why I’ve learned to trust to God and to walk in divine health according to His word.
So, what does walking in divine health look like for me? Well, it’s nothing earth shattering really. Everyone can do what I did. I just made a couple of decisions about what I believed. First, I decided to believe that all of the Bible is the absolute truth. By studying the Bible I learned who I am according to my Creator. I finally got a hold of the fact, similar to how my Creator revealed Himself, I have three parts. I have a body, a soul (mind,will, and emotions), and a spirit. I came to understand the next decision I needed to make was to not let my body (flesh) control me – and for most of my life it did just that. The Word says;
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Romans 12:2 NKJV
My spirit is what was renewed when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. My soul now needed to line up with my spirit in order to keep my body (flesh) under control. When I received Jesus Christ, I received the fruit of the Spirit, which means I have what it takes to accomplish the task at hand.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV
So, I know I have self-control – I just needed to put it into practice. No excuses. I made my body subject to my mind and will by fasting. The first few days were tough, and my emotions reflected that. But after that third day, I didn’t feel hungry at all. I ate one meal a day and I increased my water intake. I don’t limit myself to any certain foods. However, I have become more conscious of what I eat and how much. This process was also important because I need my body to listen and obey when I speak the truth of God’s word. I read verses on healing daily and I proclaim God’s promises over myself. I also pray healing over family, friends, and anyone else who needs it.
Now, a big part of my transition was completely getting away from the pain killers I used to treat the osteoarthritis I suffered from. I learned years ago that you can’t treat chronic pain with drugs – it just doesn’t work. My body just wanted more of it. The prescribed medications were just scary and I found those fairly easy to just cut cold turkey. I know that it may not be that easy for some people – and I feel for them. But, I did not care for the roller coaster ride they took me on at all. Unfortunately, other than surgery to replace both of my hips, the only thing the doctors wanted to do is prescribed meds to improve my quality of life. Look, I’m not mad at them – they can only do what they do.
The over the counter meds were a different story. I felt like I had a bit more control with ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and good old trusty aspirin. Wrong. I was able to taper them down and only use them when my pain level got to an “8” on a 1-10 scale. Unfortunately, I got to that “8” level more frequently as time went on. Additionally, while my pain was masked, I had no idea if I was causing more damage to my joints. Long term, each of those meds were just going to destroy my liver and other digestive organs.
I praise God that His Word finally sunk in enough to help me realize that my healing wasn’t going to come from a bottle of pills or through surgery. God let me know that I just needed to receive what He already provided. I received my healing through prayer and trusting God’s word. As I posted previously, I no longer walk with a cane and I and am completely free of any type of medication. I believe I will run again too – I look forward to posting that.
My daily walk in divine health is seeking God’s face, meditating on His word, and trusting Him because I know He is faithful.
Not By Bread Alone 