RUN LIKE A CHAMPION

“If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon you which I put upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord, your healer.” (Exodus 15:26 rsv)
It’s been said the church isn’t a showcase for saints, but a hospital for sinners. That’s a great definition. When a person comes to Christ, it doesn’t mean he or she has it all together — that they are perfect. It simply means they’ve come to the end of themselves. We can’t save ourselves. We must trust Christ to save and forgive us. When pardon is applied to our hearts, it sets in motion a process of healing our hurts. As we place our faith in Christ, He becomes our great physician. When we begin to attend church, it’s like checking ourselves into God’s hospital.
I came to know Christ at age 18. Within a  few years, I met the girl I’d marry. We loved each other and, like many young couples, we saw only each other’s strengths. But after a few years of marriage, we found ourselves hurting. I had hurt her and she had hurt me. Don’t misunderstand me; we still loved each other deeply. But the people we love the most, we often hurt the most. After a few years of marriage, our bubble had burst.
I was pastoring a church in Germany when God brought us to the place where we had to deal with our hurts and failures. God opened each of our eyes to see our self-life. The flesh is still the flesh, no matter how much you love the Lord or how much you love one another. At times in my marriage, I acted in the flesh, as did my wife. Our actions produced deep hurt in our hearts. When we came to grips with what we had done to each other, I wondered if our marriage could be healed.
We asked the leaders of our church for some time off. We went to Luxembourg and spent the weekend sharing our hearts with each other. I’ll never forget the first night. I wept bitterly the entire night because I saw how deeply I had hurt my wife — and how deeply I had hurt God. That night, my wife and I both experienced a depth of God we’d never known. We came to know God as Jehovah Rophe, God, our Healer.
That first night, He began to heal our hearts and our home. When we were completely honest with Him and we repented of our thoughts, actions, and feelings, we came to know God as our Healer. His salve of healing was applied to the wounds in our marriage, and the healing process began. He healed our hearts. He healed our relationship with each other. I’m convinced I would not be doing what I am today if we hadn’t experienced God as Jehovah Rophe.
The children of Israel came to know God as Jehovah Rophe right after they had been delivered from their bondage to the Egyptians. They had been slaves for 400 years, but in God’s time and by His power, they were set free. After crossing the Red Sea, they came to a place where they should have found refreshing water. But the water was bitter. God showed them where to find sweet water, then He said to them, “If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in His eyes, and give heed to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon you which I put upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord, your healer” (Exodus 15:26 rsv).
Three conditions were placed on Israel so they’d experience health. First, listen to God. Second, do what is right. And finally, obey His Word. Those three conditions would place them in a position to experience God as their Healer. God wanted the children of Israel to know Him as their Healer — the source of their health. He still wants to manifest Himself to His children as the Healer of their hurts — the One who mends broken hearts and places His divine salve on the hurts of our lives.
He is Jehovah Rophe. If you’re hurting today, you’re in a great position to get to know God as Jehovah Rophe. Call on Him. He’s not only the Great Physician, He’s also the Great Listener. He will hear your cry and heal your hurts. No matter how overwhelming your hurts, Jehovah Rophe can diagnose and treat the condition of your heart. Trust Him, for He’s Jehovah Rophe.