Have you ever started a new hobby or project, only to realize it was much more complicated than you first thought? Maybe you tried gardening and realized it’s more than just planting seeds, or you tried learning an instrument and found it takes more than just hitting the right notes. Sometimes, life’s challenges—and our healing—are a lot like that. We think we know what we need, but as we go deeper, we find there’s more to it than meets the eye. This past weekend, Tamika Simmons shared a message called “Layers of Healing: From the Garden to the Cross,” and today, we’re digging a bit deeper into what it means to trust God with our healing journey.
In John 5:6, Jesus asks the man by the pool, “Do you want to get well?” The man’s response wasn’t a simple yes or no; instead, he gave reasons why it wasn’t possible for him to be healed. He was focused on his circumstances—the people who got to the pool before him, the lack of help—everything except Jesus’ ability to heal him right then and there.
How often do we do the same? We focus on all the reasons why things can’t get better—our past mistakes, current struggles, or what others might think—when God is asking us to simply trust Him.
Reflection Question: Can you think of a time when you focused more on your obstacles than on God’s power to help you? How did that impact your trust in Him?
Tamika pointed out that true healing requires us to peel back the layers of our doubts and fears, just like peeling away the layers of an onion. Sometimes we get so caught up in what we can’t do that we forget what God can do.
“Sometimes our healing may not come for our sake but for the glory of God.” (Tamika Simmons, Layers of Healing) That’s a tough truth to swallow, but it’s also freeing. It means that even when things aren’t going the way we hoped, God can still use our situation for something greater than we can see.
Reflection Question: What are some doubts or fears you need to bring before God? How can you start peeling back those layers of disbelief?
In Genesis 2, we see God creating a perfect world and placing Adam and Eve in the garden, a place of wholeness and harmony. But after the fall, everything changed. Healing now often means God restoring that brokenness, layer by layer. It’s not always quick or easy, but it’s worth it.
When Jesus spoke to the man at Bethesda, He didn’t just heal his body; He addressed his soul. Jesus saw beyond the man’s immediate need to walk and reached into the deeper parts of his heart. Are we willing to let God do the same for us? To let Him go beyond the surface issues and deal with the deeper wounds and doubts we carry?
“Father, help me to trust You with every layer of my life. I want to see beyond my circumstances and trust that You are working all things for my good and Your glory. Give me the courage to face my doubts and fears and to let You peel them away so I can be truly healed. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Trusting God isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about believing He does and that He’s working for our good, even when we can’t see it.
Call to Action:
Consider sharing this devotional with someone who might need encouragement today. Check out the podcast replay of this message on your favorite podcast platform. Search for “CITCBA Insights” today. You can listen at churchinthecity.org/podcasts. And if you’re in the area, join us at Church in the City for one of our services. Our Saturday service at 10 a.m. has a Messianic theme, and our Sunday contemporary service starts at 10:45 a.m. Church in the City began as an outreach in the early 80s and became a church in 1991, dedicated to reflecting Christ in our community and the world.