And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
—Matthew 8:13
This passage of Scripture demonstrates one of the principal laws of the kingdom. Not only does God give or withhold His grace according to the faith or unbelief of each, but also it is granted in greater or lesser measure in proportion to the faith that receives it. Faith in God is nothing less than the full opening of the heart to receive everything from God. Therefore, man can receive divine grace only according to his faith. This applies as much to divine healing as to any other grace of God.
Two questions are often asked. First, is it not God’s will that His children should, at times, remain in a state of sickness? Second, since it is recognized that divine healing brings with it greater spiritual blessing than the sickness itself, why does God allow some of His children to remain sick for many years and still bless them in communion with Himself? The answer to these two questions is that God gives to His children according to their faith.
We have already remarked that the church’s faith in divine healing has diminished until it has almost disappeared. Believers do not seem to be aware that they may ask God for healing. They have come to seek only submission to His will. In such conditions, the Lord gives them what they ask. He would have been willing to give them much more—to grant them healing in answer to the prayer of faith—but they lacked the faith to receive it.
God always meets His children where they are. The sick ones who have desired to be submissive to His will enjoy a deep inner communion with Him. But they might have been able to receive healing, in addition, as a proof that God accepted their submission. If this has not happened, it is because faith has failed to ask for it.
We commend, then, to every suffering one who is seeking to know Jesus as his divine Healer, not to let himself be hindered by his unbelief and to doubt the promises of God. Be strong in faith, giving glory to God. If with all your heart you trust in God, you will be abundantly blessed. Do not doubt it. Persevere in believing in Him with the firm assurance that His healing power will glorify Him in you even as it heals you.