Healing Has Always Been Part of God’s Design

When cancer entered my life, I began asking deeper questions than ever before.

One question rose above the rest: If God allowed this to happen, could He really want to heal me too?

Many believers quietly wrestle with this. Some have even been told that sickness may somehow be part of God’s plan. But during my own diagnosis, I began studying the Bible carefully for myself. What I discovered changed how I understood healing.

Healing did not begin in the New Testament. It has always been part of God’s heart for His people.

One of the earliest places we see this is when God spoke to Israel and said:

“I am the Lord who heals you.”— Exodus 15:26

Here God revealed Himself as Jehovah Rapha — the Lord our Healer.

Long before Jesus walked the earth, God was already showing His desire to bring restoration to His people.

God’s Protection and His Promises

Throughout the Old Testament, God made covenants with His people. These covenants were not just spiritual ideas — they included real promises of protection, provision, and healing.

When the Abraham’s descendants listened to God’s voice and walked in His ways, they lived under His covering. God placed Himself in the position of their Healer.

But Scripture also shows that healing was connected to their relationship with Him.

When they followed God’s wisdom and instruction, they experienced His protection and His healing. When they turned away, they stepped outside that covering and became vulnerable to the brokenness already present in the world.

Understanding this helped me see something important during my own health journey.

God’s desire has always been to lead His people toward life and restoration.

Where Sickness Came From

To understand healing, it also helps to understand where sickness began.

In the Garden of Eden there was no disease, no suffering, and no death. Those things entered the world after humanity stepped outside of God’s design.

When sin and sickness entered the world, it brought consequences that affected every part of life — including our physical bodies.

This realization was important for me.

It showed that sickness was never God’s original intention for mankind.

Instead, Scripture consistently reveals God working to restore what was broken in the Garden.

Healing and the Whole Person

One of the most meaningful discoveries during my cancer journey was understanding how God created us.

We are not just physical bodies. We are body, soul, and spirit.

Each part of our being affects the others.

• The body responds to what we eat, how we care for it, and how it is supported.

• The soul — our thoughts, emotions, and choices — shapes the direction of our lives.

• The spirit is where we connect with God and receive His truth.

During my own battle with cancer, I began paying attention to all three.

Strengthening the body was important. But so was renewing my thinking and staying connected to God’s Word.

The more I learned, the more I saw how powerful this whole-person approach can be.

The Power of God’s Word

One of the scriptures that deeply encouraged me during my journey is found in Psalm:

“He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”— Psalm 107:20

God’s Word has always carried the power to restore.

Throughout the Bible, we see people cry out to God in their distress, and He responds with guidance, mercy, and healing.

During my diagnosis, filling my mind with God’s promises became a daily practice. It helped replace fear with hope, and confusion with direction.

Returning to God’s Wisdom

None of us walk perfectly. There are seasons in life when we drift from God’s best or simply lose our focus.

But one of the most comforting truths in Scripture is that God always welcomes us back.

When we recognize that we need Him, we can stop, turn our hearts back toward Him again, and begin walking in His wisdom.

Healing often begins with that simple step.

Walking the Journey of Healing

One thing I’ve learned through my own experience is that healing is rarely just a single moment. More often it is a journey — one step at a time.

For me, that journey included learning how to support my body, renew my mind, and deepen my relationship with God.

That is why the body, soul, and spirit approach is so important.

·       Through our spirit, God guides us to the truths we need for the answer to our prayers.

·       With our soul, we choose to align with God’s truth and choose our words and actions accordingly.

·       Our body responds with healing as we bring it back into agreement with God’s design—the way He created us to function. 

When these three parts of our lives begin to work together the way God designed them, we place ourselves in a much stronger position to experience restoration and health.

Hope for Your Journey

If you are facing cancer or another serious illness, I want you to know something from my heart.

I understand the fear and uncertainty that can come with that diagnosis. I have walked through it myself.

But I also discovered that God provides wisdom, strength, and hope for the journey. These things lead us into overcoming victory through Jesus.

The same God who revealed Himself as Jehovah Rapha — the Lord who heals — is still guiding His people today.

Healing may come through many steps and many changes, but one of the most important things we can do is turn our hearts toward God and ask Him to guide the path forward.

And when we do that, we begin to discover that healing is not only possible — it is something God has been leading His people toward all along.

Praying for the blessing of His truth in your life,

Paula Black

If you’re interested in working personally with Paula to address your unique health journey, this is a wonderful time to begin. For this month only, we’re offering 30% off all coaching programs. Simply use the code March30 at checkout to receive the discount. If you have questions or would like help deciding whether coaching is the right fit for your situation, feel free to email us at info@paulablack.org—we’re happy to help.