Healing Streams 1

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Polluted streams do not bring healing to the people around the stream, the struggling, or tired or weary or thirsty traveler in need of a refreshing cup of water or dip in the water. Polluted streams are sources of barrenness, unproductivity, sickness and death as in the case of the polluted waters of Jericho described in 2^nd Kings Chapter 2 verses 19 to 21. Rather than bless the people of the land, the polluted waters of Jericho poisoned and harmed the people of the land. It made the land unproductive or barren and consequently death in the land. Ideally, water should give life but when that water brings about what does not give life, then there is a problem.

On the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, the Israelites got to Marah after searching for water to drink endlessly for three consecutive days in the wilderness. Unfortunately the waters of Marah were polluted, were bitter and undrinkable. At this point, the people could take it no more so they complained against Moses. Moses’s response is very significant. He cried out to God and God showed him a tree which he cast into the waters. The Bible records that the waters were made sweet thereafter and the people were able to drink from it.

Beloved, every polluted stream/water body requires divine touches and healings from the Lord to become healing streams that bring God’s healing, life, refreshment and transformation to the people of God. The waters of Jericho became healed by the Lord after Elisha cast in the salt at the source of the water.

God the Healer of Nations

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

The OXFORD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of English defines a healer as a person who cures people of illnesses and diseases using natural powers rather than medicines. Something that makes a bad situation easier to deal with, for example times is a great healer. Healing on the other hand is defined as a process of becoming or making somebody or something healthy again.

A nation of sick and feeble people is akin to the great multitude of sick people (blind, lame, paralyzed described in John Chapter 5 verse 3. This great multitude of people that ideally should be national assets were a great liability, immobilized from any form of active service and contribution to the development processes of the nation. They were an impotent and inactive part of the population waiting for the moving of the water.

While the ailments described here are mainly physical, the  discourse between Jesus Christ and the man who had been at the pool for thirty eight years indicate that some of the sick people were also mentally impaired; perhaps on account of the physical ailments; the fact that they probably had no one like the man who had been at the pool for thirty eight years, they had waited endlessly for healing that appeared to be in the stratosphere and would forever be out of their reach.

To put it mildly, they had also hope and could be likened to the vast army of I dry bones in the valley described by the Prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel Chapter 37. The national psyche of this vast army was one of hopelessness, despondence and gloom. But God took over the situation by His Spirit and brought about healing that transformed the despondent army into a militant army for God and they became national assets. The man who had been at the pool for thirty eight years was also transformed after his encounter with Jesus.