Divine health: principles to keep your body in physical health

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth (3 John 2, KJV)

God pays attention to the health of our bodies. He wants us to be in health, even as our soul is prospering spiritually. Why is the health of your body important to Him? Well, you cannot live on earth without a body, and a healthy body is critical to fully carry out God’s plans and purposes in your life. We use the term “divine health” very frequently in Church circles today. What is it?

Divine health, just as divine healing, is not simply natural health. In summary, divine health means God is supernaturally sustaining your body in health. That sounds wonderful, right? In Deus. 8:4, Moses reminded the Israelites that for 40 years in the desert, their feet did not swell. Catch what that means? None of them, hundreds of thousands of Jews walking around a desert, was sick. They had other problems, but sickness was not one of them. This was clearly not normal. It was supernatural!

I know many of you are now getting excited about walking in divine health, correct? Let me quickly share with you two broad principles that govern this blessing. I will call them the natural and the spiritual. A healthy relationship with the Word of God and the Holy Spirit will supernaturally empower your body to be healthy. I will not dwell on this today. Let me focus on the natural.

God created the body, and established it to function by natural principles. Although natural, these principles were set by God Himself. He made the kidney   to function the way it does. God, through miracles, can override natural principles. That is what happens when the power of God heals us. However, those natural principles He has established for the body need to be respected. There are healthy and unhealthy natural habits for your body. I am not talking about praying or fasting here. I am talking about what you eat, how you care for your body, etc. Do to make the mistake of making bad natural health choices and think you will believe God to supernaturally rule over these bad health choices and make you walk in divine health. This is similar to what Satan tempted Jesus to do. He told Him to jump off a tower because God will protect Him from falling and crashing His body on the ground. Jesus said to him, “thou shall not tempt the Lord your God”. Willingly defying God’s established physical principles so that God will do a miracle to rescue us is tempting God.

Science has helped us understand a few natural principles to maintain good physical health. What you eat matters, as well as the weight of your body, whether you are physically active or not and even the importance of rest. Make no mistake and think these are “scientific principles” and therefore are not of God. Science did not create or establish any of these things. It simply discovered that they are already there, established by the Creator. Yes, there are times when God’s Spirit will lift us up above these natural principles, but that is always for a season. Eg when Jesus fasted for 40 days, the Spirit of God raised His body above natural principles. He was not fasting forever. When that season was over, He was hungry and wanted to eat, and He did eat to remain physically alive. Similarly, a Christian who smokes, believing God to protect you from cancer, or heart attacks,  is doing nothing but tempting God. 

God wants your body to be healthy and strong to carry out His assigned tasks in your life fully. Pay attention to the natural principles of health such as healthy eating, physical activity, not poisoning your body with substances such as tobacco etc. And take advantage of the health-imparting supernatural power that comes from the Word and Spirit in us!

MEDITATE

Do you have physically healthy habits? Do you think it matters?

APPLY THE WORD

Be healthy in your body even as your soul prospers. Put to work both the natural principles of health God has established and the supernatural life-imparting power of the Spirit in you!

PRAY

Ask the Father to help you establish healthy physical habits, as well as spiritual habits to be in perfect health and ready without restraints for God’s purposes in your life here on earth. 

receive these Spirit-filled devotionals

Free Mini E-book: Keys to Open Your Spiritual Eyes