by Graham Mol
In his letter to his friend Gaius, the Apostle John writes the following blessing:
2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.
(3 John 1:2 ESV)
Although letters would often open with a customary greeting wishing the other person well, this is not merely John “saying the right words” or the words one was expected to say. How do I know this? Because of what John believed.
John had been a disciple of Jesus, one of the three disciples closest to Him. He had seen the Lord as He spoke with the people, as He reached out in compassion, not only healing their spiritual ills, but also their emotional and physical ailments as well. John knew that the Lord cared not only for the condition of people’s souls, their spiritual welfare, but also for their temporal well-being, that is their health. John knew that God is a Healer of the broken, a Shepherd to the lost, a Comforter of the weary and the Source of all joy and contentment.
Another translation of John’s greeting puts it this way:
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 1:2 NKJV)
God is the only one who can make us prosper in all things just as our soul prospers in the arms of His love, mercy and grace. It is good that we remind ourselves of that fact by praying or writing or speaking a blessing over others. In doing so, we who believe in God’s mercy and power, who believe that Jesus came to give us life in abundance, are not just “saying the right words” but are actually speaking life into the lives of those we love. We are reminding them of every spiritual blessing that is available to us in Christ. We are voicing that wonderful truth and not only that, by blessing one another, we also show our care for that person’s well-being. Our desire for them to be well. And so I wish to say to you reading this:
Beloved friend, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health,
as it goes well with your soul.
God Bless
Graham
