Jeremiah 17:14 Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed;
save me and I will be saved,
for you are the one I praise.

This chapter is loaded with famous verses, most famously this one and verse 9, though there are other notable ones as well. This verse resonates because there are many purported “fixes” in the world that don’t really do what they promise. However, when God acts, it is real, period. That’s one of the many risks of Artificial Intelligence. AI is very good at accumulating and processing information, but it is ultimately limited by those who program it. A major issue is the tendency to tell you what you want to hear, rather than being guided by absolute truth. God doesn’t have that issue! He is the ultimate truth, the ultimate solution, for everything. To correct a well-known Christian saying, “God said it. That settles it.” That applies whether we believe it or not, but we get far more benefit if we do believe it. As this verse says, if God heals us, we are healed, period. If God saves us, we are saved, period. Of course, the ultimate healing and salvation are in heaven, but this applies right here and now as well. We tend to chase all sorts of things for healing and salvation, or any other goal, for that matter, when the ultimate answer to everything is our Creator. Thankfully, He loves us so much that He sent His Son to die in our place. When we have that firmly engrained in our soul and spirit, nothing can shake us at all.

This is very timely for me, since I have a major heart exam coming up tomorrow. Since my father died of heart issues at 64, this is hardly surprising, but it definitely raises the stress level. For example, the grass around the church really needs to be cut, but I had to take a nitroglycerine tablet twice yesterday, after what I considered only moderate exercise, and that was certainly concerning. I am eager to have the tests and know what is medically indicated, but I’ve got to remember that God is my healer, even as He spoke during the exodus: “I am the Lord, who heals you.” (Exodus 15:26) I have no concerns about my ultimate destination, but I want to be here to care for my wife, who has a whole slate of medical issues, and I see the Lord opening up all sorts of opportunities for ministry. I delight to be used by Him, and I want to have the physical health to make full use of all the opportunities He provides. This verse is the declaration of my heart!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that I was able to go to the heart clinic yesterday and get a fresh prescription for nitroglycerine. Thank You that it is so effective when it dissolves under my tongue, but help me remember that the healing comes from You, and not from any medication or procedure. May I be faithful in using everything You provide, including health, to accomplish that for which You give it, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!