I’m honored to have my friend and artist, Meghan Lacey, again as a guest on this blog. I know you’ll appreciate her devotional thoughts and her art!
Dear Friends and Fellow Travelers on this Journey of Life,
Today I want to share with you what is on my heart, Healing…God’s powerful Healing…the Healing that only comes from Him.
In this difficult chapter of human history, my heart has been heavy, I keep praying for friends, family and those I do not know who I see struggling in so many ways.
Because of a worldwide pandemic that we have been in for over a year now, many of you reading these words know someone who was lost to Covid, I too have friends known to me and even family members who have died in the past year due to Covid.
Each life lost on earth, is a life lost too soon, and Jesus yet weeps with us because He is close to the brokenhearted. Grieving and seeking healing is a complicated process because we start to see ourselves as we really are…that can be pretty scary when we examine ourselves before God. How can we reconcile the difference that we see between ourselves and a most Holy God? How does He want us to respond when we come to the end of ourselves?
By bringing us closer to God through the promises in His word, I too, hope to be transformed and indeed healed by His word. What I want us all to consider, is how intrinsically linked Healing is with Faith. Not just faith in ourselves, one another or in nature or something abstract but indeed, Faith founded in the Living God, Jesus Christ, Our Lord.
In Elizabeth Musser’s book, “The Swan House”, after the tragic loss of her mother, Mary Swan Middleton experiences the healing of God through the active faithfulness of the people who come into her life, teaching her what true love is, showing her where she can truly put her trust and hope in for the rest of her life. I love how she starts her journey looking for clues to a riddle, only to find that the artwork she is searching for is quite literally closer to home than she ever imagined. I won’t spoil the whole book for you, if you haven’t read it yet, please do! Atlanta and indeed the world needs to read this story right now, I think yet again we are in a new time of change and healing in our land which does give me great hope!
By examining scripture there is much we can learn about healing and how the power of God through faith can heal us.
Imagine this promise: Jesus is the Healer of bodies and souls!
By His Wounds We are Healed:
“But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and by His wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds we are healed. For you were like straying sheep, but you have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your Souls” 1 Peter 2:24-25
Praise God! We serve Jesus Christ who died and was literally pierced so that we could be healed! How does death on a cross equal healing for us? What a miracle it is, what a blessing and a gift. We have been given this gift of grace to live in God’s love and his righteousness but it was bought by the blood of Jesus Christ for us.
Another truth to consider:
We are Healed by touching the fringe of God’s Garment and placing our faith in Him.
“And when the men of the place recognized Him, they sent around to all that region and brought to Him all who were sick and implored Him that they might only touch the fringe of His garment. And as many as touched it were made well.” Matthew 14:35-36
I love the theme that emerges, simply touching the fringe of Jesus’ garment, those who, in faith of God’s power, believe and they are healed by Jesus! Simply touching the garment of Christ in faith that they would be healed…and they were healed!
One of my favorite stories in the Bible, a woman who healed of a twelve-year long illness by touching the garment of Christ in faith illustrates this point further;
“And behold, a woman who had suffered from chronic bleeding for twelve years came up from behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, for she said to herself, ‘If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.’ Jesus turned and seeing her he said, ‘Take heart, daughter, your faith has made you well.’ And instantly, the woman was made well.” Matthew 9:20-22
“And He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” Luke 8:48
“Your Faith Has Made You Well…”
In the next story, it shows how important the body of Christ is for our lives – indeed, it is instrumental in our healing! A group of friends, in faith of the power of Christ, believed that Jesus could heal their paralytic friend. They literally carried him to the feet of Jesus because they knew their friend would be healed if they did.
The Paralytic is Healed:
“And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.” Mark 2:5
And in the face of the scoffers who said Jesus didn’t have the power to forgive sins, Jesus spoke to the paralytic with the authority of one who could indeed heal both body and soul:
“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” Mark 2:10
Powerful, that Jesus could both heal and forgive the sins of a man, but not unrelated at all. In fact, the faith of the friends of the paralytic was the faithful witness to God’s healing power in this man’s life. Find yourself friends such as these, and you will be blessed.
Two Blind Men Receive Their Sight:
“When He entered the house, the blind man came to him, and Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They said to him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ Then He touched their eyes, saying, ‘According to your faith be it done to you.’ And their eyes were opened.” Matthew 9:28-29
The faith of God’s people has the power to heal the sick and help one another to be forgiven from the snares of sin. The gathering together of the people of God has the power to save, we must not stop praying together as the body of Christ for the healing of one another and for the brokenness in this world.
“And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” James 5:15-16
Perhaps, all God wants from us is our whole heart’s devotion, faith and trust in Him alone and not at all in ourselves, what we offer or what we can bring? Childlike faith and reliance upon Jesus, the Great Healer and Great Physician of both body and soul. Do we believe that God is able to heal? Is a doctor’s diagnosis the end of the story for us? What if we see yet another violent act committed on earth against the defenseless? Injustice against the poor, helpless, orphan, sojourner or widow? Do we look at death of a friend or family member as a failure for our lack of faith? I have asked myself this question, “If I had more faith, would this person still be alive?” I don’t know. I know that to be with Christ in eternity is best and sweetest to the Christian who longs to gaze at the beauty of Christ. This earth is not our eternal home. His time is not our time and His ways are not our ways. Honestly, I have struggled with this during the last year acutely. However, despite my doubts and questions regarding the healing power of God and his choice to heal illness or infirmity I know that to place our belief in Him is the safest place I can put my trust.
We can place our trust in our God, He will certainly heal us both in body, soul, mind and spirit, if not fully here on earth, one day in eternity because that is what he has promised to do, and we serve the God who keeps His promises. Praise God!
And God will Heal the Nations:
“Through the middle of the street of the city also, on either side of the river [of Life], the tree of Life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” Revelations 22:2
As for now, I think the charge is clear, we have been given a gift to stand up for Christ in the time in which we live. While the questions still remain, I realized some powerful things after looking at these scriptures; according to our faith in Christ, we will be healed, if our faith is weak so may be our healing. In humility, if we recognize ourselves as unable to live without Christ’s sustaining power, he will lift us up and hold us together. Prayer together and in our own quiet reflection seeking the face of God will turn our hearts towards Him and away from the snares of sin. He is so good and kind, He will forgive us and then He promises to heal us. Indeed, though this is not a new thought, not at all, dying in Christ is the ultimate healing of body and soul because the soul in glory with Christ is 100 % free from affliction and pain. On earth, God does sustain us day by day in his healing power and this is our gift of life which we must never take for granted. We need His presence, our daily bread (both literally – we must eat each day! And spiritually in God’s word.)
I hope that as we all continue towards a path of healing in our lives, both in body and in soul, we will remember the promises of God in His word. It is ok to struggle, but don’t ever forget the faithfulness of Our God. His perfect love casts out all fear! (1 John 4:18)
He is Able. He is willing. He lovingly pursues us. He is Near. He is Good. Praise God!
Blessings in Christ,
Meghan Lacey
Meghan Lacey was raised in sunny and warm climate of Central Florida and has spent the last ten years living in the beautiful foothills of Georgia. She credits her mother, Lyn Lacey, as her inspiration for her artistic endeavors. While still in high school, Meghan received classical drawing and oil painting instruction from Chris DiDomizio from 2008-2012 and watercolor painting instruction from Dylan Scott Pierce from 2009 until 2012. From 2014 to 2015, Meghan took private lessons from portrait artist Leah Burchfield Mantini. She has taken workshops from renowned artists such as Don Sondag, Jordan Sokol, Amaya Gurpide, Mia Bergeron, Anne Blair Brown, Dylan Scott Pierce, Brett Weaver, and Suzy Schultz. During the fall semester of 2016, she studied abroad at Oxford University through the Scholars’ Semester at Oxford, where she studied History of Art as a registered visiting student. Meghan graduated with her B.A. in Art and Design, with a Concentration in Painting and a Minor in Art History at LaGrange College in May of 2017. During the growing season of 2020, she learned the art of organic farming at Serenbe Farms, GA. As of Spring 2021, Meghan is currently pursuing her M.F.A. in Painting, through the Academy of Art University, in San Francisco, CA. She recently was privileged to have her artwork featured in British Vogue’s April, May and June 2021 print and online issues.
Website: www.meghanlacey.com
Instagram: @meghanlaceyartist
Email: meghanlaceyartist@gmail.com
Elizabeth Musser 
This was such an awesome blog to read. The healing power of God here on earth, he truly sustains us. Thank you for the beautiful art work posted. I plan to share this with friends.
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beautiful words abd even more beautiful paintings.
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