I wear hearing aids in both ears and am wondering if by wearing them, that puts a block up in my faith for God’s healing. I wear them, because they help me hear speech and it is useful in the workplace, church, home, etc. Without the hearing aids on my ears, I cannot hear anything and often cannot understand people. What do you suggest I do? Currently, I am waiting and trusting that God will manifest the healing in His time. I’m using the aids as a temporary aid to help me communicate with others. Do you think God wants me to ditch the hearing aids? Would He want me to go the extra step in my faith by being completely deaf (without hearing aids) until He opens them?
I find it totally remarkable that God has given knowledge to mankind to perfect and aid our bodies so that we can continue to perform a ministry unto Him.
Back in the late 1800’s. My great-grandfather was deaf in his right ear. I have photos of him holding a large cone to his right ear and my great- grandmother shouting into it.
My great grandmother died in 1968,after living 106 years. She would tell me many progressions made in the field of science. What was once considered witchcraft was later diagnosed as epilepsy. There were many institutions that housed the mentally insane. But, it was in the last part of the 20th century many remarkable discoveries were made concerning medicine that could assist all ailments.
My father wore a hearing aid for many years before his death. It was a small box that attached itself to his shirt pocket and wires running to the ear canal.
Today, there has been such advances in the field of medicine where the hearing aids are invisible to the naked eye. They are created of light-weight plastic and smaller that a dime [10 cent piece]
Is it wrong to wear a hearing aid? NO! God has the awesome ability to heal a person of all diseases through Jesus Christ. But at times God will not heal you, but give the doctors wisdom on how to care for you. Your part is to abide in faith that God has chosen the best path for you to follow. And by that same abiding faith to place your trust in the doctors and in the equipment used to aid in your hearing.
We are so blessed to live in the New Testament time. I often thought that many Old Testament saints were hard of hearing. Look at Noah. He did hear God say to take two of every creature into the boat, but did that also include flies, roaches, bumblebees, and grasshoppers! And even in the New Testament where the Pharisees had to keep asking Jesus who He truly is.
In the Gospel of John, I have counted many time where people asked Him repeatedly “Who are you?’ I really do not think it was doubt in His Kingship, but a lack of Q-Tips and Ear Wax Removal kits.
Wear your hearing aid and wear it proudly. You will have a better chance at hearing the trumpet blowing a the Rapture time, then you can notify the rest of us who are stubborn and keep repeating ……..”HUH???”
Sue Ramsey, Associate Director of Bible Questions
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First let me say, your question is one that only you can answer between our Lord and your own heart. There are those that preach and teach that God will heal each and every time we ask. That simply is not consistent with Bible teaching and later I will give the passages of scripture to prove the point.
Do I believe in divine healing, absolutely, for I may self have been healed and I have prayed and laid hands on people that were healed. I have also laid hands on people and prayed for healing and it was not granted. Why not, you may ask, and I would have to tell you that I have no idea about most of those incidents, but then there are some that I have watched and eventually understood the Lord’s will.
One such case is a lack of God’s healing of a problem that I have had for three years. I am medically disabled because of spinal disease and have prayed for myself and I have been anointed and prayed for by a number of fine Christian men and women. I still pray for healing, however I do see now that the Lord has used my disability to draw me nearer to Him.
When I was first saved, I felt for many years that I should not take any medications whatsoever and I did not take any. But now I am diabetic and have numerous physical problems and it seems that I almost live solely on medications. Is this a lack of faith on my part? Some would have us to believe that is the case, but then if I were backslidden on God, why would He still use me to pray over folks and have them healed, when I myself have not been healed? Why would God use me to preach and see souls come to Him everywhere I am allowed to speak?
It is a question that causes problems for those who insist that we can demand God to heal. The truth of the matter is HE is God and we are men and we do not have the ability to know the complete future of God’s will for any of us.
Look at this passage.
John 9:1-4 “And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
In this passage the Lord Jesus told that the handicap came not from sin as many today teach that all sickness and handicaps came from, but this was so the works of God should be made manifest in him.
Now let ‘s look at a few more passages.
Apostle Paul
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
The word translated infirmities from the Greek means frailty, disease, infirmity, sickness, or weakness.
So we see that God chose not to heal Paul and I do believe Paul had the ear of God as much as anyone today, don’t you?
Another passage
2 Timothy 4:20 “Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.”
If God healed every time someone prayed, do you not think Paul prayed for his brother Trophimus, and yet he clearly says he left him behind because he was sick.
One last passage
1 Timothy 5:23 “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.”
This word infirmities is the same word used in 2 Corinthians 12.
Timothy had medical issues and the apostle Paul is giving Timothy medical advice, is he not?
So do I believe the healing verses of the Bible, yes but I believe them in the total context of the Bible.
As much as some of our brothers and sisters in the Lord might disagree, it is a common fact of our spiritual lives that some times God does not answer as we wish Him to.
When that is the case we must say with the Apostle Paul, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (2Corinthians 12:10)
Is it a lack of faith that causes me to pray over the sick and end my prayer asking the Lord’s will, no it is not, for I know that God’s will is perfect and many times ours is selfish.
I truly wish I could tell you to throw those hearing aids away, but I cannot. But I will help you pray that the Lord will not only give you the answer to your question, but also I will pray for your complete healing and we will rejoice together in whatever God does in this matter.
James Avery, Associate Director of Bible Questions
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Hummmmmm,
Hearing Aids are part of God’s Healing?
If you feel God is wanting you to remove them, I’d say go for it, if you are not sure. Start practicing taking them off when you’re alone with God (Wow, I would consider it a gift not to hear anything but the voice of God when praying).
Expect God to move in and do miracles, but I wouldn’t just ditch them while driving or at work because you might miss opportunities to hear someone’s “cry out” with a low tone of voice. Right now they can be the tool He has given you …
Nancy Reindl
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Hello, my name is Jennifer and I wear hearing aids too!!! I have a condition that not only affects my ability to not be able to hear without wearing my hearing aids, I also have a sight problem too!!! I was born with it. I was diagnosed with usher syndrome at the age of two and a half. I am now 26 years old!!! I get around with a guide dog assisting me. I will be married for two years this June!! This June will also be four years that I have my guide dog that I have now!!!! He is my first guide dog. He is a big help to me. He allows me to feel more independent!!!
Now back to the question that you asked. I think that there are no problems with you nor myself or anyone else who wear hearing aids to wear them. I do think if you do decide to wear them you would not be showing God that you do not trust him. Even when you are wearing them you may not be able to hear everything. I often ask God, why I was born this way. I may not get an answer, but I do know that I am touching others through my my hearing and sight problems. I hope that you understand what I’m trying to say,
You can email me at: sunflowerjennifer@charter.net if you have any questions and I’ll answer at the best of my ability!!!!
I will praise the Lord through all circumstances for the rest of the days of my life!
Jennifer
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God does not think your faith is weak because you wear a hearing aid. The Lord made Doctors in order to help us with our health issues. It is actually a gift from the Lord that you can hear aided by something. If the Lord wants you to hear without the hearing aid, he will most definitely do so in His time, but He does not think that you are not faithful to Him because you help yourself hear in order to function better in life. He would want that.
DeeDee
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Our relationship with the Lord is both personal and intimate. We know if we have listened to Him in relationship or we have not. We know if we have in fact listened to Him if we are obeying what He has shown us to do or we are not and are disobedient. We must allow our relationship with God to be established in Him in all our ways…to acknowledge Him and He shall direct our steps. If we listen to our own conclusions, our friends, family or others, then we are doing what they recommend or even taking a guess at the circumstance.
Surely, when God gives us direction and we follow Him through Jesus Christ in the Spirit, it is then that we will see the results of His instructions that will bring forth glory to His name. So to find out what HE thinks, we need to spend time with Him and understand by His Spirits direction the plans that He has for us personally and intimately, today.
He always brings confirmations in the truth of what He has said, who His is and what He has planned for us….so that we cannot miss what He is saying. So….since you asked…my advice 🙂 would be to listen to what God has to say….commit all your ways unto Him and He will direct your path. He will not only open your natural ears, but your Spiritual ears that will understand Him in all His ways. Continue to do exactly what you are doing until He directs you otherwise. The Lord bless you richly in His understanding and wisdom and true intimate relationship.
Darcia Sharp
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There is an old story about a man who lived in a flood prone area. One year there was a particularly severe flood and the man, a devout Christian prayed to God to save him from the flood. He is outside his house and the water is lapping around his ankles when a truck pulls up loaded with people fleeing the flood.
“Hop in” says the driver.
“No” says the man, “I’ve prayed to God and he will save me from the flood.”
A little later, with the water waste deep, a boat comes by.
“Climb aboard,” say the boatman.
“No” says the man, “I’ve prayed to God and he will save me from the flood.”
Yet later with the water much higher a helicopter comes by and attempts to rescue the man.
“Go away,” he says “I’ve prayed to God and he will save me from the flood.”
Soon after the man drowns. When he gets to heaven he complains to God. “I prayed and prayed and you didn’t save me, How come?”
“That’s hardly fair,” says God. “I sent you a truck, a boat and a helicopter what more did you want!”
The point being that maybe the answer to your prayer is the hearing aids you already have.
James Pearce
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Please forgive me but I don’t see how wearing hearing aids diminishes your faith. God provided the hearing aids. ALL things come from Him. He provided the raw materials for making those hearing aids. He provided the inspiration to the person who invented them. He provides support to that person through your buying them. Would it be a “good” thing to withdraw a livelihood to that person? I think not. Can God repair your hearing while wearing them? Of course He can! Are you, in your heart, believing He can’t or won’t heal you because of them?
So, now we’ve reached the ‘heart’ of the matter! Being a preacher’s kid, I’ve been blessed to see God heal in miraculous ways. The ‘heart’ of this is: What is He saying to you? Healing is always through His Might and His Power and for His Glory. Remember Paul’s thorn in the flesh? If God chooses not to repair your hearing will that diminish your faith? Would wearing or not wearing those hearing aids in any way hinder Him? Of course not, none of us are that powerful! I’ve seen people live with incredible infirmities and pain but I’ve also been blessed to see others immediately relieved of those same infirmities and pain. There’s no human explanation for it and I praise Him for that! Both the ‘healed’ and the not healed on earth praise Him and had their faith strengthened by their experiences. Our task is to watch and pray as he asked of his disciples on that long night so many years ago.
Would removing the hearing aids be a big sign of your faith? Would that be, to you, like wearing sack cloth and ashes? In my writing you can’t hear the note of caution in these words. Only remove them if you are absolutely, beyond a shadow of a doubt, sure that removing them is for Him and not just so He can see how strong your faith is. He already knows because He can see your heart, so what would removing them accomplish? Are they hindering your faith? Only you can answer that question.
Praying for you healing,
Patt Silver
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It must be heartbreaking not to be able to hear at all. I am, thankfully, able to hear, but I have a problem with discernment of what is being said. In the past this has led to some embarrassing situations by what I think I hear and what was actually said. My feeling is that these hearing aids are opening up a world of good things for you. You are able to hear all the good sermons and the beautiful hymns and most of all to be an effective witness for Christ on a one-on-one basis.
I think of the woman who touched the hem of His garment and also all the lepers and the blind who were healed by the Lord. They went through their lives with these difficulties, but in His time, Jesus brought miracles into their lives. So for me, I believe I must wait for His timing, which will be perfect. Should He have plans for my life in my present state, I praise Him for it because I know that He does all things well.
God bless you.
Esther
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God certainly can heal any physical ailment including loss of hearing. God does not always choose to do this in every case. Consider the Apostle Paul’s affliction of the flesh. Sometimes God’s purpose is served when we glorify God in spite of unanswered prayers. Acknowledge God’s unlimited power while at the same time submitting yourself to God’s will. This is not a cop-out. Keep trusting God to answer your prayer for healing but don’t forget to thank Him for giving us the knowledge to design hearing aids. God always supplies our needs; He does not always do it in the manner that we think He should. May God continue to bless and keep you.
Brother George
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Follow the apostle Paul in praying for better health/hearing. We are to imitate the apostolic men. God may or may not want to heal you. He has your long range best interests in mind (salvation) and only He knows exactly what it will take to get you to heaven; where He wants you. Perhaps your diminished hearing will preserve you from some temptations or enable you to concentrate more fully on Him and/or His word? Perhaps it will motivate you to some form of Christian endeavor you would not otherwise have considered? As Paul said, “When I am weak, then am I strong.” Be strong in the weakness with which God has blessed you; and do all you can to cope with it.
If it might help: I have a hearing problem which requires amplification. So I amplify. I have an arthritis problem which could keep me in bed. But I take twelve(12) different curatives, (DMSO, Emu Oil,, etc.), and preserve my mobility. We are Soldiers of Christ and we must march into the spiritual battle without regard to petty physical disabilities. Do we agree?
Al Sowins
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When God created man he wanted man to be happy in the original Eden, when Satan spoiled the whole thing, things went weird. I am personally sorry that you put on hearing aids and am sure that God loves you to the extent of dying for you. If he wishes anything for you its only good, I am personally sure that God would wish you to listen properly if your ears have a defect. If the hearing aids aid you to hear, he surely would like you to use them, and am sure like am sure that you have read this that it’s not any sin and neither does it annoy God for you put on hearing aids. However I pray that one day you would never need hearing aids, may God pour his wonderful blessing on you. There is a verse in Jeremiah that tells us the for the lord has all our plans to prosper. He will guide you. Be well brother.
Job Asiimwe
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My answer to the man who wears hearing aids and is concerned if God wants him to continue to wear them until his healing manifests is this:
Please wear the hearing aids because God has given wisdom to man to know how to fix problems. God gives doctors knowledge to help mankind while we live in our body on earth. Keep your faith for your healing and never give up on believing the promises of God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God. Hebrews 11 is the chapter about faith.
Read all the healing Scriptures in the Bible three times a day. Pray and then praise him in advance for your healing. Many of us would be dead today if we did not go to the doctor for solutions to our physical problems. My answer is simply this: Wear the hearing aids–pray for healing–praise God for your healing in advance and don’t worry about if you should or should not wear the hearing aids. Let go and let God have his way. Healing will come in time if we keep our Faith in Him. Words have power so speak healing words.
Madison
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God sends man the ability to improve life so we have inventors such as in the field of science. Just think how far a person would go if he/she “tested” faith by taking glasses off, driving to/from home/work and everywhere encountering cars everywhere those glasses are needed to see. Not only is one placing oneself in inadequate abilities but endanger the lives of those being encountered while driving without glasses.
A quality of life is something our Lord provides us, all, with so removing your hearing aid/aids to test your faith is simply endangering yourself and others. Has it occurred to you that if he wanted you going unable to hear he would have placed impediments in your way? Do you think he wants you to endanger yourself and others?
Rose
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Firstly I don’t have a problem in you wearing hearing aids because of the following reasons:
You need faith to get your miracle to become a reality and the bible says faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of GOD and I feel you will need the hearing aids for you to hear. The spoken word is the word that will create your Miracle. If someone speaks the word of GOD upon you and you can’t hear it how do you acknowledge your miracle?
However if you feel you have acquired enough faith to create a miracle then you can as well forget your hearing aids and believe GOD for a miracle. That will be another step of Faith which will help in speeding up your miracle.
KAJOWOLA PHIRI
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God helps us through the things he provides also. He has provided medicine, Physicians, medical devices and all things to make our lives more comfortable.
Shirley
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PART A
Humanly speaking it’s obvious that there is so much discomfort encountered by anyone who uses hearing aids to facilitate hearing especially having to put up with the idea of carrying a foreign element for an indefinite period on the body. Again, personally, I feel sorry for such an individual and wished I could walk to the One concerned, and say, ‘receive your miracle!’ and it is done. The truth of the matter is that God loves and cares for such a one than any mortal will do.
Let us journey through the Old Testament and the New Testament and see the relationship between God and believers in both dispensations respectively. The word of God is the finality to all answers of afflictions that we are confronted with in this material world and as such, I believe strongly this same Word alone can provide answers to our immediate question.
When God met with Moses in Horeb and commissioned him as the channel through which He will redeem the Israelites from Egyptian captivity. The Bible has it that Moses was to go in the strength and name of the Lord and accompanied with notable signs for Pharaoh and the Israelites to believe that Jehovah God had sent him for the vision and mission. (Exo.3:19-20;Exo.4:1-7,8-9)
It is important to know that the signs and miracles were to convince Pharaoh and the Jews that he was sent by God but they were not to serve as the gauge for Israel to be convicted and thus believe in the existence of Jehovah and as the God that made a covenant with their fore father Abraham. Moses did many notable miracles in Egypt (Exodus 7-10; 12) to prove that God was working through him. Then, I believe there were many Jews who had one body disability or the other that did not receive healing from God as a proof of their faith in Him but the focus was Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and for Israel to know this covenant keeping God and serve Him.
God did other notable miracles for Israel on their journey through the wilderness to the promise land such that Moses reiterated it to Israel in Deuteronomy 8: 3-4.He humbled them to know and understand Him well and tested their faith in Him; forty years in the wilderness He demonstrated His sovereignty and omnipotent attributes over their welfare in that they did not lack food, did not fall sick, clothes were not worn out, shoes were not filed nor changed. Interestingly, Moses said in verse 3 that these miracles should not be the criteria upon which they should follow God rather doctrine or the Word of God should be the fundamental basis.
Upon arriving Canaan the miracles ceased, thus they have had enough proof that this was the same God who made a covenant and walked with their forefathers. They didn’t have to see His power demonstrated in their bodily infirmity in order to believe in HIM.’ Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Now onward these believers are to stand on the integrity of His word to live their daily living; the sick would have to consult a physician for cure where applicable, to ensure survival they have to till the land to have food to eat and to meet their religious obligations to God in tithes and various offerings, they have to replace their shoes and clothes when worn out, etc.
It is sad to note that some of these believers who saw the notable miracles performed in Egypt and partly on the way in the wilderness fell short of God’s glory simply because they failed in the fundamental; the word. Rather for them to lean on the miracle worker; God. They trusted in the miracles alone and wanted it in their own way and at their own time in other words as the basis of their belief. And because of this sin of unbelief the Lord passed judgment on them and killed them. ( Hebrews 3:16-19 ) We can learn a lesson here. However, we shall continue and look at the N/T BELIEVERS to gain and have in-depth understanding in our subject.
PART B
In the New Testament, the apostle Peter, speaking in defence of the gospel of Christ before the listening Jews (Acts 3:22-23) quoted Moses’ words in Deuteronomy 18:15, 18, 19) to their fore fathers about the promised Messiah from God. This he says is in fulfillment in Jesus Christ. This Jesus came to teach humanity about God and our relationship with Him. This obviously is in fulfillment of the promise of Salvation to humankind as we have it beginning in Genesis 3, which resulted from the fall in Eden. Jesus is to teach us about God the Father and lead us to Him and anyone that fails to listen to Him will be separated from God.
Jesus was introduced to the people by God chosen forerunner; John the Baptist. And to make it easy enough for people to believe that He was the chosen Messiah (and not One of the self imposed leaders due to zeal to free Israel from Roman captivity as was the case in inter Testament period), God placed a notable and distinct identification on Him (Acts 2:22).Thus, He went about preaching the Good News of the kingdom of God due for fulfillment ( Matthew 4:17) and doing good (1John3:8b) by exposing the works of the Devil through the knowledge of the word of God ( John 8:32,36) and as such freedom from sin is guaranteed in Him. Jesus performed miracles (Luke 7:20-22, etc) and all proved His Sonship and confirm the word of God. The coming to earth of the Messiah was basically for leading humanity to God through the teaching and knowledge of God’s word (as already mentioned) and for redemptive purpose ( John 1:29 ).The fulfillment of Isaiah 53 in Christ on the cross is more of spiritual freedom and asset for those who obey the Gospel.
The apostles were commanded to wait in Jerusalem to receive power from God in order to be witnesses of the Gospel( Acts 1: 8 ) to all human creatures in every length and breath of the earth( Matthew 28: 18-20). In addition, the Lord confirmed their works with signs and wonders (Mark 16:19-20). The apostles performed notable miracles (Acts3:1-8; 5:12-14; 9:32-42, etc) actually to prove that God was working through them and to lead the people to the Gospel of Christ; the emphasis was not on the miracles but their faith in Jesus Christ.
The apostle Paul spoke about the end of the miraculous in 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 after the fulfillment of its purpose according to God’s plan. In 1 Timothy 4:20, we read of this faithful disciple who could not accompany Paul on his next journey because of sickness. Again, another faithful disciple and an evangelist ( 1 Timothy 5:23) had a persistent illness that could impede fasting, etc but never got the miraculous over his illness. To mention a few!
The completion of the canonicity of scriptures ( James 1:25) clearly affirms that today we do not need miraculous healing as a yardstick to believe in the Gospel of Christ and to affirm that He is with us. We are His by faith in the scriptures and faith alone in Christ alone.
God made the existence of orthodox, trado-medical means of healings so long as they are free from sorcery and witchcraft . In the days of our Lord Jesus on earth, they had their own means of healing which was not annulled by the Lord, yet many embraced the faith and lived it.
Finally, the hearing aid was made possible through God given knowledge to human doctors. Please, hold on to it and let it not be the determine factor to worship God. If God so chooses to make the sick patient put it aside He can but focus on Him and His word and be rest assured that He loves and cares for you than any mortal. Press on the race and prove to Satan and his cohorts that, ‘man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’ (Matthew 4:4).
Lawrence Oshioreame
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My husband and I both wear hearing aids in both ears, and have for a very long time now! He is 78 and I am 68 years young…
Without these hearing aids, we could not hear ‘the word of God’ when we attend Church! We also could not enjoy the full benefit of ‘fellowshiping’ with other Christians as we would be unable to hear and to understand what they are saying.
The Lord gave man the knowledge, the wisdom, and the technology to make these and other devices to help those that have suffered hearing losses. We are very grateful and thankful that these are available to us! And with each year, they are improving and making them even better and better!
Even in Biblical times, people used ‘crutches’ when they had a disability, that could be helped by such a device. If you had a broken leg, would you not use ‘crutches’ even though they make you less dependent upon others and better able to live a more normal life until your leg healed?
If the thinking of the person who asked this question were carried to the extreme, we would not take any medicines, see any doctors, wear any bandages, or take any steps to try and heal our bodies when ill or injured. We pray to God for our Healing, but we also must depend and rely upon modern medicine to get us through our afflictions. And IF or WHEN the Lord Heals us, (and He does this without ceasing), then we no longer need to rely on assistance from anyone! But again, it is the Lord who gave mankind the ‘miracles of modern medicine’!
We have our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, and if we did not have these wonderful hearing aid devices, we would miss out on SO much JOY with them! We have a telephone that enables us to ‘hear’ better and not miss any calls! We belong to a ‘Hearing Support Group’ in our Community, that is very supportive to us and is always there with new and helpful suggestions, advice, techniques, speakers to bring us informative information, etc., to assist all of us that are in this special class of hard of hearing. Many Public Buildings are now installing ‘Audio Loops’ to make it easier for the ‘hearing impaired’ to enjoy shows, concerts, meetings, Church Services, and many other events! We are very grateful that this is happening, and that the ‘hearing impaired’ are finally being recognized, and the people are doing something to help aid and assist in their handicap!
In closing, neither of us would even think of giving up our hearing aids today. We feel so very blessed to be able to ‘hear’ better with them, and to enjoy our lives more because of what ‘modern medicine’ was able to accomplish! And we never once thought we were taking away from the Lord’s healing by wearing these devices to help us hear! If He should heal us, it would be AWESOME! But in the meantime, we will fully rely on these on a daily basis in our senior years.
Barbara Hinman
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Wholesome health is God’s design for mankind at creation and redemption. This is demonstrated in man’s perfect state at creation and God’s miraculous work through Christ while he was on earth. The fact that God desires total health for humanity is clearly exhibited throughout history.
However instances of believers who are sick in spite of God’s healing power have become confrontational tools in the hands of atheists and other antagonists of the Christian faith.The church seems not to have a convincing explanation for this phenomenon. Two factors have been eloquently reverberated to account for this (1) Lack of faith (2) Sin.But a third category of saints are those undergoing affliction even though they are holy in conduct and believe God for healing. It is significant to note that in addition to faith and righteous living, God’s eternal purpose and timing do account for some cases.Hannah prayed for several years; Zechariah and Elizabeth were blameless yet barren; the invalid was at the pool for 38 years; Lazarus was dead for 4 days .God responded to each of these cases on the merit of His own timing to further His eternal purpose.Your situation might well fall into this category.
Healing is not the absolute endorsement of our faith in God or in the integrity of His word neither is any form of disability and indictment on the infallibility of God or the quality of our faith. God is good and His word is true regardless of our circumstances.The fact of creation and redemption are incontrovertible evidences of His goodness, kindness and Love. We should not use our experiences to evaluate God’s character. Rather,we should affirm God’s character in spite of our experiences like Abraham Romans 4:18-22,Hebrews 11:11.
Your walk with God is personal not corporate, hence,it is not subject to the inputs and opinions of others no matter how highly placed or well-intended they might be. Do not throw away your hearing-aid EXCEPT God impresses it upon you to do so.Faith in God is expressed in small acts of daily living and not necessarily spectacular acts of the supernatural. What God requires is obedience that comes from faith.
An avalanche of historical and contemporary accounts abounds of disabled people who God used tremendously. The 4 lepers at the gate of Samaria triggered an economic miracle; Frannie Cosby was born blind yet composed legendary musical masterpieces; Pastor Obadare is a blind Evangelist; Yinka Ayefele is crippled yet the airwaves reverberate with his gospel songs (both are Nigerians).
What if the lepers refused to yield themselves to God because of their health? Or what if Frannie Cosby allowed her blindness to prevent her from composing her masterpieces? Or what if pastor Obadare and Yinka Ayefele are still waiting for God to heal them instead of getting busy with their divine assignments?
We must not allow others to use our circumstances and limitations to define us. Our identity is in Christ in whom is the fullness of the deity. Elisha’s death by a sickness does not emasculate the merit of his achievements in walking with God neither does it discredit God’s healing power. Keep waiting and trusting that God will manifest your healing in His time and seek for ways to serve him more because, “since ancient times no eye has seen,no ear has heard, no mind has perceived any God beside thee, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.” Isaiah 64:4
Prince Oshiojum