They Said You Would Die They Were Wrong
September 07, 2026
There is something remarkable that happens when you refuse to panic. When the snake has latched on, the people are talking, and everything around you seems to be closing in, the person who keeps their eyes on Jesus becomes a spectacle of God's glory. Today, we will learn what unfolds on the island of Malta is not just a historical account. It is a living word for you right now.
They Were Expecting You to Fall
After Paul shook the viper off into the fire, the islanders stood and watched him. They were not watching out of admiration. They were watching out of expectation. They fully expected him to swell up. They fully expected him to drop dead. These were people who knew this type of snake. They had experience with it. In their world, in their reality, a bite from that viper meant death. It was that simple.
"They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god." Acts 28:6
The world around you may have a strong and very convincing opinion about what should happen to you. Based on the economy, based on the doctor's report, based on your past, based on your circumstances, the verdict may seem clear to everyone watching. They are expecting you to swell up. They are waiting for you to drop.
But here is the truth: you are not subject to the world's experience. You are subject to the Word of God.
The world's experience with that snake said death. God's experience with Paul said no harm.
Isaac sowed seed during a famine, the very worst time by worldly logic, and received a hundredfold return. Your blessing is not tethered to the economy, to the season, or to what the circumstances suggest.
"And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The Lord blessed him." Genesis 26:12
Your source is God himself. And because of that, the world's rules do not apply to you in the same way. You are in the world, but you are not of it. You are born of his Word.
The Day Their Minds Will Change
After watching Paul for a long time and seeing that absolutely nothing harmful happened to him, the islanders changed their minds. The very people who said he was a murderer getting his due justice now said he must be a god. The same mouths that spoke death over him began to speak of God's favor on his life.
That day is coming for you too. The people who have spoken negatively about your family, about your children, about your business, about your future, they will change their minds. They will look at your life and say, "This family is blessed by God. This has to be God. There is no other explanation." The tongues that spoke against you will repent. The doors that closed in your face will open again. The places that rejected you will call you back.
The people who predicted your downfall are being positioned to become witnesses of your breakthrough.
Healing Flows Through Willing Hands
Now, watch what happens next on the island. The chief of Malta, a man named Publius, welcomes Paul and his companions and hosts them generously. But there is a pressing need in his household.
"It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him, healed him." Acts 28:8
Paul visited. Paul prayed. Paul placed his hands on him. And the man was healed. This is significant. Paul did not simply say, "God can heal you." He stepped into the room, he laid hands, and healing was released through him.
This is not a picture of religion. Religion will say that healing is God's department and nothing to do with us. But God has placed his power in his people. Jesus was clear about this when he commissioned those who believe:
"And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover." Mark 16:17-18
Paul believed these words from the bottom of his heart. That is why he did not stop to ask the islanders what kind of snake it was. That is why he did not panic when it was hanging from his hand. He knew who he was. He knew what had been given to him. And because he knew, the sick man in Malta experienced healing.
You carry that same Spirit. When you lay hands on the sick in faith, that healing anointing flows. It is not your ability. It is his anointing working through your willingness.
Healing Is for Everyone
What happened after Publius's father was healed is one of the most beautiful pictures of God's heart in all of Scripture.
"When this had taken place, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured." Acts 28:9
Every sick person on that island came. And every one of them was cured. Not some of them. Not the ones who deserved it. Not the ones with enough faith by human measure. All of them.
Healing is not for a select few. Healing is your inheritance. It is the inheritance of every person who belongs to God. The enemy may come like a venomous snake. He may inject his lies, his fear, his sickness, and his schemes. But every one of those poisons has already been dealt with on the cross. Every sting of the serpent has been swallowed by Jesus. Every poison has been broken.
"But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:5
When you look to Jesus, when you speak his Word, when you confess what he has already accomplished, the poison that has been working against you must stop. It has no authority. It has no final say. Because the one who conquered death, hell, and the grave is living inside you.
You Are Not Ordinary
You are not an ordinary person. Your family is not an ordinary family. Your children are not ordinary children. You are all born of God, connected to him, united with him, and filled with his Spirit. No evil scheme of the enemy can change that fundamental truth. Your walls are sealed by the blood of Jesus. Your home is surrounded by the angels of God.
Surely, as the psalmist declared:
"I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." Psalm 27:13
You will see the goodness of God. Not in the afterlife only, but right here, in the land of the living. You will walk in his purpose. You will walk in divine clarity. The season of harm is over. The poison is gone. The snake has been shaken into the fire. And you, standing on the other side, are completely whole.
Conclusion
From a shipwreck to a snake to healing an entire island, Paul's story on Malta is a declaration over your life. When the enemy attaches himself to you, you shake him off. When people expect you to fall, you stand. When you step into rooms where people are suffering, healing flows through you because of the Spirit inside you. Healing is your inheritance, and no snake, no poison, no scheme of the enemy has the power to override what Jesus already accomplished on the cross. You will suffer no harm. You will rise. You will shine. And those who doubted you will change their minds.
Reflect on This
How does knowing that healing is your inheritance, not something to be earned, change the way you approach prayer for yourself or others who are sick?
In what ways have you been waiting for the world's verdict on your situation instead of standing on what God's Word declares over your life?
Prayer
Father, I thank you that I carry your Spirit and your healing anointing. I declare that every scheme the enemy has formed against me, my family, and my children is broken right now by the power of Jesus Christ. I am not subject to the world's experience. I am subject to your Word. Every poison has been swallowed by Jesus on the cross, and I walk completely free. I release healing over every sick body, every broken situation, and every fearful heart. I am your child, born of your Word, covered by your blood, and surrounded by your angels. I will see your goodness in the land of the living. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Key Takeaways
The same people who predicted your downfall are being positioned by God to witness and declare your breakthrough.
Healing is not reserved for a select few but is the full inheritance of every believer in Christ.
God has placed his healing authority in his people, and faith-filled prayer releases that power into real situations.
Your blessing and protection are not dependent on circumstances but on God himself, who is your source.
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To dive deeper into this powerful message, watch the full sermon on our YouTube video below.
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