In January, Sarah Rosenkranz walked into a room full of angry and confused people all frustrated about experiencing strange, debilitating illnesses in the community of Granbury, TX.
TIME magazine reports, “A mother said her 8-year-old daughter was losing her hearing and fluids were leaking from her ears. Several women said they experienced fainting spells, including while driving on the highway. Others said they were wracked by debilitating vertigo and nausea, waking up in the middle of the night mid-vomit. None of them knew what, exactly, was causing these symptoms” (“‘We’re Living in a Nightmare’: Inside the Crisis of a Texas Bitcoin Town,” TIME, Andrew R Chow, July 8, 2024).
When you’re sick, injured, or suffering from pain, not knowing the cause of the symptoms can create more fear and frustration than the symptoms themselves. So we end up suffering from not knowing.
We lose sleep worrying if it’ll be okay. We imagine worst case scenarios because we found something on the internet. We get disgusted with doctors not providing any helpful diagnosis.
It’s tough. I’ve been there. My family has been there. I’ve pastored people of strong faith in hospitals almost losing their religion because the doctors who get paid big bucks to heal them … can’t.
However, I have found a doctor who has never looked at a patient and their family and said, “I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong.” He’s so good that he diagnoses symptoms without expensive tests, even if patients can’t totally explain them.
But here’s the thing. If I give you his name, you have to trust him. You have to give him your hurts and pains, and trust his diagnosis and treatment.
Sometimes he won’t tell you anything except, “Trust me, I know what I’m doing.” Sometimes he won’t treat what hurts you because that’s only a symptom of a deeper problem he sees, and he knows it is hurting you more. Sometimes, if you trust him and are willing to listen, he will tell you that you are the problem.
You want to be the doctor, self-diagnose, perform your own surgery, or prescribe your own treatment. We suffer from not knowing because we must be in control.
My doctor can’t and won’t help me the way that he truly can and will if I want control. He can’t and won’t help you the way that he truly can if you want control. Let’s humbly, honestly confess that we sinfully want to know and do more than we should, and that causes fear and frustration.
My doctor can help with that. He helps and heals me. His name is Jesus.
I think if Jesus had a doctor’s office he’d have this as a plaque on the wall instead of a diploma. It would say, “I am the doctor ‘who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion’” (Psalm 103:3,4).
No other doctor in this world would make such a promise. They couldn’t live up to it. But Jesus does. Look at this. How many of your sins does Jesus forgive? “All your sins.” How many of your diseases does Jesus heal? “All your diseases.”
He “redeems your life from the pit,” which is promising that Doctor Jesus rescues you and takes possession of you. He goes all in, his dying for your sins so that you are now living, and you are not your own anymore, you are not your old life, or your sinful self. You are set free from a place described as a pit, a Hebrew word that means “trap” and is also used as a word for hell.
So, can you trust this Doctor more?
PRAYER: Dear Doctor Jesus, I need your healing. Just as much, I need more faith to trust in your diagnosis, prescription, treatment and instructions for healthy living. Forgive me for doctoring myself when you are the perfect Physician. Heal me of sin. Amen.
MEDITATION: When have you experienced not knowing about symptoms of sickness, pain, injury or disease? What do you need to let go so that you trust Doctor Jesus more than yourself?