By Diane Maartens in Rhapsody Of Realities Daily Devotional · Edit Doc.And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine (Ezekiel 47:12).

 

There are believers who’re averse to medicine; they wrongly assume that for a Christian to take any kind of medication is an indication of a lack of faith. Meanwhile, God is not averse to the use of medication; that a Christian uses medication doesn’t mean he lacks faith or that he’s done something wrong. In the Old Testament, as we read in our opening scripture, God gave the priests medical instructions for the people. In this particular instance the prophet alludes to medicine, he says, “…the leaf thereof for medicine.”

 

We find the same allusion in Revelation 22:2: “In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” If you carefully consider the language of these scriptures, you’d understand that God wasn’t against medicine. He says the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. In other words, healing came from the use of those leaves.

 

This helps us understand God’s thinking concerning medicine, and how that He wants people well. What is wrong however is for anyone to rely on medicine instead of God’s Word. As a Christian, it’s important you know that the Word of God is the best medicine; far more potent than any herb or medical drug: “My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh” (Proverbs 4:20-22).

 

Here, we discover the curative and therapeutic power of the Word; it’s health – medicine to your flesh! The word “health” is from the Hebrew word “marpe” which means medicine, healing or remedy. It connotes that which has curative ability. You should rather use your faith to receive healing through the Word. But if you choose to take advantage of medical help, you’ve done nothing wrong. But remember, there’re ailments that till date, have defied any known medical diagnosis and cure; you can always trust the Word for your healing and health.