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By Mrs. Robert Hammond

And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.  Mark 1:31

And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed. Mark 1:42

And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? Mark 5:28-30

And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. Luke 8:47

And straightway the damsel arose, and walked. Mark 5:42

Several months ago, I was reading through the miraculous healings of Jesus in the Gospels and I began noticing the word IMMEDIATELY. As I looked through the Gospels, I found this to be the norm and not the exception. Mark seemed particularly fond of the word. Luke uses a different word, a synonym of Mark’s.

It all means the same though. IMMEDIATELY. FORTHWITH, STRAIGHTWAY, INSTANTLY, PRESENTLY, SHORTLY, ANON.

I don’t know about you, but for some reason, when I am sick, I don’t always expect God to move so quickly. Call it faulty teaching, or faulty believing, or a little of both, but this is not consistent with the God of miracles. Yes, there are things that take some time. I know that. You know that. We all have experienced that.

I love the song by Karen Peck and New River—”Four Days Late,” based on Lazarus. It brings hope. Hope for those who are waiting.  However, is there another case in which He waited?

He did take time with the woman with the issue of blood while on His way to raise Jairus’ daughter up, but He didn’t wait around for two days before He left like He did with Lazarus. He went. He would have gone with the Centurion in Matthew 8, but he had enough faith that at Jesus word his servant was healed that self same hour by just sending His word.  The Lazarus thing…that was an exception. And that was only four days!!!

I have been watching Kathryn Kuhlman on YouTube, lately.  During a service, while she was calling out sicknesses, she said, “You’ll never receive anything by just sitting there.”  On one of her programs, she was interviewing a priest who had seen her in Israel. He said during the time people were coming up for healing he was trying to think of something he could be healed of so she would pray for him. Then she called for the priests and other clergymen. He said he jumped over two rows to get up there! He was hungry for more of God.

That was the crux of her ministry…to get people healed, but more importantly, get their souls healed and introduce them to the deeper walk in the Spirit.

In 1982, I had the good fortune to hear Norvel Hayes preach his famous sermon on the Blind Doughnut King of Canada. He said God stopped him and changed his message just as he was getting ready to go to a Full Gospel Businessman’s meeting. He felt the Lord tell him, “I want you to show them how Blind Bartimaeus got Me to heal him.”

Right after Brother Hayes got to the meeting (late), he saw a blind man get up and give his testimony. The Doughnut King of Canada. This was the person the Lord had changed his sermon for, and he preached it with gusto. “Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me!” That is what Bartimaeus did. And when they told him to be quiet, he got louder and shouted until Jesus stood still. And then the King of Glory called Bartimaeus, and asked him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

And immediately he received his sight.

The blind Doughnut King just sat there. He didn’t get up, he didn’t cry out, he didn’t receive. Notice that Bartimaeus received his sight IMMEDIATELY. He didn’t wait for Jesus to notice him or to speak to him. He took the initiative.

Could that be our problem? We are waiting when we should be running to Him, crying out to Him. (See Luke 18:1-8.)

“Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto Him…I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.”

How much longer will we wait?