Would you agree that sickness can be a terrible thing? Many people wonder, “How can I know God really wants to heal me?” I believe the answer can be found in only one place—the Bible.

Let’s take a closer look at Matthew 14:14, because I belive in that verse lies the key to your knowing beyond any doubt that God wants to heal you! This verse says: And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. This is a picture of the real Jesus—the healing Jesus.

“Jesus went out…”

It is said that Jesus was either on His way to heal somebody, or He was there in the process of healing them, or He was on the way to heal somebody else. And He is the same today! He “goes out,” filled with compassion to heal the sick, because it is His nature to heal. And once this truth saturates your mind and spirit, you can be on your way to knowing that Jesus wants to heal you!

There are other scriptures which can help you understand what I’m telling you.

Exodus 15:26 says, “I am the Lord who heals you.”

First Peter 2:24 says, “By (His) stripes (the marks of the lashings on Jesus’ back) you were healed.”

Acts 10:38 says, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed of the devil.”

The Bible doesn’t say Jesus went about healing some or healing most. It says He healed all who were oppressed of the devil. Because of this scripture, you and I can understand what sickness really is. Sickness is an oppression of the devil.

There are some people who believe that sickness comes from God…that He is trying to punish them or teach them something. But if God puts sickness on people, then why did He send Jesus to heal? Wouldn’t God and Jesus be working against each other?

In John 10:10, Jesus said, “The thief [the devil] does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” The devil’s whole nature is to steal. He wants to steal your health, your family, your finances, and so much more.

But Jesus also said in the second part of John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

Jesus didn’t come that you might be sick. He came that you might have life in all its fullness. I pray for you to know that God wants to heal you and that it’s His nature to heal! He wants to see you well! After Jesus “went out,” Matthew 14:14 says:  Jesus “saw a great multitude…”

When Jesus looked at the crowd which followed Him, He saw more than just a great multitude. He saw them as individuals. He sees that all of us have needs—spiritually, physically, emotionally, financially, and in our relationships.

Jesus sees you as an individual also. He knows what you’re going through right now. To Him, you are unique—there’s only one of you—and nobody can take your place.

To Jesus, you are the crowning masterpiece of God’s creation and He will go to the uttermost bounds to see you saved and healed when you yield your life to Him.

This is what happened when Jesus went forth and saw the multitude. And this is what happens when Jesus looks at us today. Yes, He wants to heal you. The question is, will you accept His healing power not just as something to be read about in the Bible, but something to be received on a personal, individual level?

“He was moved with compassion toward them…”

Jesus was moved with compassion toward the multitudes. He was filled with an irresistible urge to reach out and help rid the person of what is wrong.

Let me share with you a personal experience of how compassion has worked in my own ministry. I was preaching overseas in an evangelistic meeting, and people were hungry to hear about Jesus. We filled a large auditorium and had an overflow crowd watching the service by television. That night we had many miraculous healings reported.

Among the crowd was a young boy named Jimmy. He had traveled alone by bus at night to get there. When he arrived, the auditorium was already full. But Jimmy refused to be discouraged. By his faith, he knew of Jesus’ compassion and he had come to be healed of stuttering. He stuttered so badly that all his friends made fun of him, yet he felt the call of God on his young life to preach the Gospel.

As I was on my way out of the building after the service, someone pointed me toward Jimmy and explained to me that he had not been able to get into the meeting. I walked over to where he was sitting and said, “What’s your name?”

Jimmy tried to speak, but not a word would come out. He couldn’t even say his name. The compassion of Jesus rose up from deep within me, and it moved me toward Jimmy. I prayed for him and I could tell that by faith he received my prayer for his healing to begin. Then I said, “Now, repeat after me. My name is Jimmy. I’m going to talk and I’m not going to stutter anymore.”

He said, “My name is Jimmy. I’m going to talk and I’m not going to stutter anymore.” He repeated the words perfectly! Through a miracle of healing, Jimmy was free to speak clearly. Someday that young boy may change his country for Jesus Christ.

That’s what compassion is all about. When you believe and receive by faith the understanding that Jesus has compassion toward you, right now can be the moment for a healing miracle to begin. The final words of Matthew 14:14 tell us: “And he healed their sick.”

This is the “healing Jesus” doing what He was called to do. This is the real Jesus who said: The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed (Luke 4:18).

I encourage you to let this be settled in your heart, mind, and soul today—God wants to heal you! I pray that from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet, may you begin to receive your healing, in Jesus’ name. Amen.