By John Thiel

The Lord steps in and restores when people think everything is lost. We are to walk with God by appreciating how to make the word of God the avenue by which we walk with Him. We take one text and ascertain the thought and then meditate on it until it becomes our own. Through that avenue we make our walk with God.

How has it been with you and walking with the Lord? It is the sense of God’s presence that actually is a prescription of our disease. Psalms 16 deals with the sense of God’s presence.

Psalms 16:8 I have set the LORD always before me: because [he is] at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. 10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 11 Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence [is] fulness of joy; at thy right hand [there are] pleasures for evermore.

He can be at our right hand by walking with him through the word. Nothing can move me, I shall not be moved.

Notice as we learn to walk with God so practically through the reading of His word, there is something in that makes us very glad. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices, my flesh shall rest in hope. Your flesh, your heart, bubbling with joy, in the sense of His presence.

Jeremiah 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

What is the divine physician’s prescription for health of the body, mind and soul?

As you eat the word, the presence of God is felt in your life and you are in His presence. That creates an internal joy and gladness. Your flesh rests in hope and that is the prescription for disease.

Disease

The word dis-ease. What is that? When disease threatens, what is disease? It is a lack of ease. There is no rest, there is stress and turmoil. There is a prescription for disease. It is the joy, the closeness and the preciousness of God in our life, which if He is there all the time, there is constant joy that arises even with the threat of disease around us and coming to us inwardly.

Psalm 107:19 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, [and] he saveth them out of their distresses. 20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered [them] from their destructions.

His word? His word rightly absorbed as we have been studying to walk with God, His presence comes into your life and there is joy, rejoicing and pleasure forever more. It is that word and that effect that heals.

If taken as we have explored and continually, that is taking the prescription from the great physician. When you go to the doctor he writes a prescription and you take the medicine but that prescription is His word and as we absorb it, we absorb his presence. In His presence disease can’t dwell. When Jesus was on earth, disease fled in His presence. He healed the sick. His word was found and it was the rejoicing in the heart. What does joy and gladness and pleasure actually do?

People often misread the above scripture thinking they have to dance around and be merry. If you are in the presence of God there is joy. That is another word for being merry. There is pleasure.

Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart doeth good [like] a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

It is a reality that all disease has to do with oppression, anxiety and stress, all disease. If are always vibrant, joyous and happy, the germs can’t flourish there. Any germs cannot flourish when the being is full of energy and joy and the healing benefits of positive thrills in the soul.

It is just like planting plants in the garden. If there is strong energy that comes from the soil, the pests can’t conquer. But if it is weak soil, the pests get a better chance. It is the same with the germs in the body. Diet is helpful but don’t make diet the prescription for your health. The real prescription is the word of God that gives pleasure and joy and of course, you will obey what He says. It is the relationship with Christ and not with food. Many put a relationship with food before God and they still die as they don’t rely on God. It is such a joy to walk with God.

For the health and vitality of the soul, the divine Physician has prescribed communion with Himself. We are to sit at His feet and learn of Him how to be meek and lowly in heart. Spiritual health is dependent on the food given to the mind and on the air which is breathed. {UL 174.2}

If I want spiritual healing then I must study the word in such a way that I am in the presence of God. The breathing of pure air, we make a big fuss about it. We need it but if we don’t have it we won’t die if we breathe the pure air of Jesus Christ. He will conquer. We have polluted air today. Even if you are breathing the fresh air outside, it is polluted. It is only by God’s grace we are healthy from the diseased atmosphere. Study the word for the purpose of walking with God so health and vitality of soul takes place.

The love which Christ diffuses through the whole being is a vitalizing power. Every vital part–the brain, the heart, the nerves–it touches with healing. By it the highest energies of the being are roused to activity. It frees the soul from the guilt and sorrow, the anxiety and care, that crush the life forces. With it come serenity and composure. It implants in the soul, joy that nothing earthly can destroy,–joy in the Holy Spirit,–health-giving, life-giving joy. {MH 115.3}

What is the vitalising power? The love of communion with Christ. It lifts me above the dis-ease that wants to create illness in my body. What touches the brain, the heart and the nerves with healing? The love which Christ diffuses.

When there is a depressive power that wants to create disease and I centre my affections upon the presence of Jesus and His love, the highest energies, the energy that heals and strengthens and gives support against all the negatives, takes place. Here is the source of disease. It is guilt. When you have an overwhelming sense of guilt, how do you feel inside? It is a withering sensation. It is not just a sensation, it actually creates disease. If we have not learnt in our early years to walk with the Lord, those youthful indulgences will catch up by the time you are older. Those who have the youthful desire of life, you feel these thing eating at you. At forty years of age my heart was playing up and I thought I was going to die but the word of God came to me and said I will strengthen your heart and I rested.

I know anything that comes to me that would oppress and crush those life forces, it must be met through walking with Jesus. One of my greatest joy is going to give people Bible studies. When I am there all my illnesses are gone. If I stop and forget about the sense of God’s presence for a moment, it comes back. By consistently staying in that atmosphere it is not noticed. It disappears as the healing rays of God’s presence takes it away. It took me three or four years to be strengthened. It was thorough and complete. Every time I let myself down into a negative state, my heart would play up to remind me. The moment the touch is there again, it’s gone. It is a real truth. Have you had such experiences?

It frees the soul from the guilt and sorrow, the anxiety and care, that crush the life forces. With it come serenity and composure. It implants in the soul, joy that nothing earthly can destroy,–joy in the Holy Spirit,–health-giving, life-giving joy. {MH 115.3}

Our Saviour’s words, “Come unto Me, . . . and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28), are a prescription for the healing of physical, mental, and spiritual ills. Though men have brought suffering upon themselves by their own wrongdoing, He regards them with pity. In Him they may find help. He will do great things for those who trust in Him. {MH 115.4}

How true this is. How true have you found it? Have you got experiences that verify this; when you feel anxiety crushing in upon you, the effect upon your health and the relief as you conduct this walk. I can testify to it. Anxiety flees. It is not natural for me to be a minister. It is an anxious sensation that comes upon you to deal with problems. How is it going to turn out? I haven’t got it in me, what do I do Lord? Only as I trust Him, only as I depend on him to give me the right thing to share.

This is why we enjoy the cross of Jesus Christ. He takes away all guilt. We are to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus but we tend to keep the commandments but not the faith of Jesus who bore our guilt at the cross.

Amen.