Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:7-9 (NIV)

A few weeks ago, this verse came to mind. It is a difficult verse for many who believe in supernatural healing¹ because it would suggest God’s will is not always to heal. That in fact God’s will, from time to time, is to not deliver us from our suffering.

Now the reason this is difficult for many of us is not because this might be true, but because we have been taught the means by which healing is achieved in our lives is faith. Our belief in God’s willingness to heal is what brings about our healing. But if God’s will is not to heal from time to time, how then can we have faith and not doubt according to Scripture?

The answer, I believe, is by understanding how faith works in the Christian life, namely that faith is the beginning of the journey with God. Paul clearly believed it was God’s will to heal; otherwise he would not have pleaded with God three times. But his faith alone, though necessary, was not sufficient to bring about his healing. What was also required was something else, namely the tendency of his heart toward conceit to be removed. We know this was the reason God chose not to heal Paul because he tells us so. So Paul found himself in extenuating circumstances: God chose to refrain from doing the very thing that was his will to do in order to prevent a condition that could destroy him.

On that note, I wish to point out there is no reason to believe Paul’s situation was permanent. Neither Paul nor God suggest his tendency toward conceit was a character flaw God could do nothing about. And once God did, there is every reason to believe the artificial restraint keeping him in a place of humility would be removed. I say this because some try to elevate this verse to a place of defining whether it is God’s will to heal or not in the absolute sense. But this very passage, by clearly defining the extenuating circumstances taking place in Paul’s life, prove otherwise.²

But what are we to do as far as believing it is always God’s will to heal? The answer is: continue believing it is always God’s will to heal. Press into God in every area where you are not seeing his kingdom come and will be done in your life, just as it is in heaven. And if in the process God reveals to you extenuating circumstances that cause him to refrain temporarily from doing what is otherwise in his heart to do (and only because he wants what is best for you), be patient, allowing the fullness of his kingdom to be established in your life.

1. That is: God’s desire to heal all our diseases ↩︎
2. Otherwise, Paul would have said God does not always heal and left it at that. ↩︎