He Took Her Hand and the Fever Left

And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.  Mark 1:31 (KJV)

What a beautiful scene is portrayed here.  Simon´s mother-in-law is suffering in bed with a fever when Jesus and the disciples come into the house.  When He hears that the woman had to lie down from the pain, He goes to her, takes her hand and helps her up.  These are beautiful things to consider.  Wouldn´t we love to say that about us?

We lay here each in his or her own suffering.  Jesus can come in. He can take us by the hand, and He can help us to our feet.

But the most amazing part of the story is what happens to the sickness.  When Jesus does these things, the illness departs.  Pain just isn´t quite felt the same when Jesus is allowed to take us by the hand.  Sickness does not keep too well in His presence.  He has rightfully been called the healer, but it is because there is so much of God in Him.  Suffering just cannot remain when He is there.

This is not to say that believers cannot fall sick, or that we will not be touched by disease.  Rather, what we are considering is spiritual and eternal.  There are many physical conditions which influence our fleshy earthly bodies.  But this is not all we are made of nor where our eternal purpose lies.  The soul responds to its God and its Creator.  The heart recognizes its Savior and when its hand is in those capable hands, all of nature must fall into the correct place.

We may not have been given the authority to say when and where the Lord will miraculously heal a suffering individual.  But the fact that we trust God has the power and quality He has, puts us into a beautiful place in relation to Him.  When deep in our hearts we know that all forces, even sickness, bow to Him as King, then we stand in a place where we may witness beautiful and amazing things.

One of the saddest injuries with which evil has struck the flock of Jesus, is to remove from us this awareness.  The general trend of society and the churches today is to accept the camouflage which hides the power of God.  We see modern medicine, scientific study and we listen to the strongest voices of our times.  We fail to realize that God still reigns and His power is in no way reduced.  It may be concealed from our view for lack of faith or that we do not look for it.  But Jesus is still the Healer and pain, sickness and suffering cannot stand against Him.

Dear Jesus, we fall often under the weight of our sufferings.  But we would place our hope in You.  Reach out Your powerful hand.  Take our feeble ones in Yours.  Help us to our feet again.  We may not see it, but we do believe that the power lies with You.  Our suffering is no match for the healing that lives within You.  Draw us close today.  Let us revel in the realization that You restore men and women to health and to be with You.  Give us the strength today so that we may attend to You as we should.

Amen