Vitamin F cannot be purchased from a grocery store. You cannot even get it from a health food store. It is not folic acid; it is not even an essential fatty acid, but it is important for our well-being.
What is a vitamin? Vitamins are powerful chemical substances (keep that word in mind), essential, or necessary, in small amounts, to our nutrition. The purpose of vitamins is to regulate specific functions that promote growth, reproduction, or the maintenance of health and life.
People are excited about taking vitamin supplements, but if vitamin supplements are taken without minerals, an imbalance in the body will be created, because the body does not operate just on vitamins. The body also needs minerals, so if you are going to take iron, you need to take vitamin C; if you are going to take B vitamins, you need to also take calcium. Vitamins initiate the body processes, and without them, you cannot utilize the other nutrients.
Substance
From the Bible, we read: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1.
What word do you see in this passage of Scripture that is also used in defining vitamin? Substance! That word, substance, as used in the definition of vitamins, refers to something tangible, something upon which you can put your hand. Is faith something upon which you can put your hand? Sure, you can experience faith. God has given every person a measure of faith—substance. So this vitamin F is nothing more than healing faith—not just physical healing but the totality healing of man.
Vitamin F Defined
Inspiration gives definitions of this important vitamin, such as: “Faith is trusting God—believing that He loves us and knows best what is for our good.” Education, 253.
How do we develop this faith? God wants us to be obedient, but obedience will not come without trust and faith. He allows us to experience trials to strengthen our trust and faith: “Thus, instead of our own, it leads us to choose His way. In place of our ignorance, it accepts His wisdom; in place of our weakness, His strength; in place of our sinfulness, His righteousness. Our lives, ourselves, are already His; faith acknowledges His ownership and accepts its blessing. Truth, uprightness, purity, have been pointed out as secrets of life’s success. It is faith that puts us in possession of these principles.” Ibid.
Biblical Example
The story is given in the Bible of a woman with an issue of blood for twelve years. “A certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse.” Mark 5:25, 26. The significance of her medical problem is addressed in Leviticus 15:25–30.
In Scripture, the word woman symbolizes a church. This woman of Mark 5 may represent the church, while at the same time this woman could represent us personally. We might not have an issue of blood, but we have an issue of a heart problem, an emotional problem. It could be caused by anything that we face; any challenge that impedes our experience with God can be an issue.
This woman had exhausted her resources in an attempt to be healed. She had nothing left. However, God’s plan is accessible to everybody. You might not have the resources, but you will not be turned down by God’s medical plan.
The Bible says, in Mark, that this woman grew worse because there was no doctor that could heal her. The physician disciple, Dr. Luke, recorded: “A woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any.” Luke 8:43. Even Dr. Luke came to the conclusion that nobody in Palestine could heal this woman.
Just Touch the Hem
It could be said that this woman was in desperate need. She was not only physiologically and emotionally affected, but she was socially affected. Her only hope was to be healed by Jesus. Her one desire was to touch the hem of Christ’s garment.
“ ‘If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole.’ Matthew 9:21. It was a poor woman who spoke these words—a woman who for twelve years had suffered from a disease that made her life a burden. She had spent all her means upon physicians and remedies.” The Ministry of Healing, 59. There is not one plant, not one herb that can heal people of disease. They only support the body. God said, in Genesis 15:26, “I [am] the Lord that healeth thee.”
Yet, she was “pronounced incurable.” How many of us have been struggling with sins in our lives, and we finally come to the time when we do not think we are ever going to overcome these issues? We think we are incurable. If that is where we are, then we are in the position of that woman. We need to touch His garment.
Ellen White continues, “But as she heard of the Great Healer, her hopes revived. She thought, ‘If only I could get near enough to speak to Him, I might be healed.’ ” Ibid.
Come Boldly
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16. What does the word boldly mean? It means with confidence, with assurance that Christ is a rewarder of those who come to Him by faith. We can come boldly to Christ, knowing He will forgive, heal, and cleanse. We can come with the confidence that Jesus will give us power. We can come with confidence that He will not cast us aside. Men might reject us, but God has proven time after time that He can be trusted.
We must come boldly. This means that we must be resolved. The reason our faith is not strong enough is because when we go through trials, we are not in a frame of mind of being resolute. Yet God gives us trials and tests and shows us His mighty works that we can come to trust Him.
Priest’s Robes
Christ is the High Priest, the type of a priest that served in the tabernacle on earth. (See Hebrews 9:11.) In Exodus 28:33, 34, the hem of the earthly priest’s garment is described: “And [beneath] upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates [of] blue, and [of] purple, and [of] scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about: A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.” Notice, it says, “a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate.”
What is the significance of the bell and the purpose of the pomegranate? The Bible tells us that we must bring forth fruit. (John 15:16.) The bell represents profession. The bell makes noise; it professes, and it sounds. So, with our profession, we must bring forth fruit. We can talk; we can ring the bell of truth, but we must also bring forth fruit. We cannot have a life of profession without bringing forth fruit. If we are true Christians and we are clinging to the garment of Jesus Christ, we will not only have a profession, but we will bring forth fruit.
Why did God direct Moses to use pomegranates on the hem of the priest’s garment? Why not use mangoes? Well, pomegranates have a lot of seeds. My wife tried to count the number of seeds in a pomegranate. She cut one of the fruits into quarters and counted the seeds in one of the quarters. She counted over 50 seeds in that one quarter! In my travels, I have been to many countries and experienced their fruits. I have not found any fruit with more seeds than the pomegranate. It is a virtual seed basket.
Promises of God
What do seeds represent? The Bible says, “The seed is the word of God.” Luke 8:11.
What does this have to do with the woman with the issue of blood? Well, you see, the seeds represent the promises of God’s Word. “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature.” 11 Peter 1:4.
Claim Promises
She touched the hem of His garment, in faith reaching out and claiming the precious promises of the Word of God. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the Word, the embodiment of every promise. We read: “The Word was with God, and the Word was God”; “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” John 1:1, 14. When Jesus walked on this earth, the Word was in the flesh. If the woman wished to be healed, it made sense for her to come into contact with the Word.
“For they [are] life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.” Proverbs 4:22. What is health to all flesh? It is the Word of God.
Ellen White wrote: “The creative energy that called the worlds into existence is in the word of God. This word imparts power; it begets life. Every command is a promise; accepted by the will, received into the soul, it brings with it the life of the Infinite One. It transforms the nature and re-creates the soul in the image of God.
“The life thus imparted is in like manner sustained. ‘By every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God’ (Matthew 4:4) shall man live.” Education, 126.
Who Touched Me?
The woman joined a crowd thronging Jesus. Writing about this event, Mrs. White penned: “To the curious crowd pressing about Jesus there was imparted no vital power.” The Ministry of Healing, 62. Notice, people were touching Him, pressing against Him, but there was no vital power.
“In making His way through the multitude, the Saviour came near to where the afflicted woman was standing.
“Christ knew every thought of her mind, and He was making His way to where she stood. He realized her great need, and He was helping her to exercise faith.” Ibid., 59, 60.
Even though many followers surrounded Him, Jesus recognized the woman’s need and faith, and He was moving in her direction. Even though in the crowd of more than six billion people on the planet earth, be assured that Jesus is always moving to that one soul who is crying out. He knows every need, every thought.
As Christ passed the woman, “She reached forward and succeeded in barely touching the border of His garment. That moment she knew that she was healed. In that one touch was concentrated the faith of her life, and instantly her pain and feebleness disappeared. Instantly she felt the thrill as of an electric current passing through every fiber of her being. There came over her a sensation of perfect health….
“ ‘Somebody hath touched Me,’ Jesus said; ‘for I perceive that virtue is gone out of Me.’ Luke 8:46. He could distinguish the touch of faith from the casual touch of the careless throng. Someone had touched Him with a deep purpose and had received answer.” Ibid., 60.
“So in spiritual things does the casual contact differ from the touch of faith. To believe in Christ merely as the Saviour of the world can never bring healing to the soul. The faith that is unto salvation is not a mere assent to the truth of the gospel. True faith is that which receives Christ as a personal Saviour. God gave His only-begotten Son, that I, by believing in Him, ‘should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ John 3:16. When I come to Christ, according to His word, I am to believe that I receive His saving grace. The life that I now live, I am to ‘live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.’ Galatians 2:20.
“Many hold faith as an opinion. Saving faith is a transaction, by which those who receive Christ join themselves in covenant relation with God. A living faith means an increase of vigor, a confiding trust, by which, through the grace of Christ, the soul becomes a conquering power.” Ibid., 62. [Author’s emphasis.]
“And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.” Mark 5:34.
Measure of Faith
We have all received a measure of faith, and it must be cultivated. God helps us to cultivate it by permitting trials to come our way. He is continually measuring us, because without faith we cannot please Him. “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8.
We should thank God for the trials. We should thank God for the issues in our lives. We should thank God for the disappointments. We should thank God that He does not waste His time on useless material. When we are going through trials, we should each exclaim, “God sees something of infinite value in me!”
Thomas Jackson is a Health Evangelist and Director of Missionary Education and Evangelistic Training (M.E.E.T.) Ministry in Huntingdon, Tennessee. He may be contacted by e-mail at: godsplan@meetministry.org or by telephone at: 731-986-3518.