WE NEVER KNOW WHEN WE MIGHT STUMBLE ACROSS A BLESSING   #347

Good Day, Meetpastordan Readers…I’m really excited to share this story with you today, because it is the perfect set up for what I had already wanted to write about.

There is a younger woman (keep in mind, this is a 55+ retirement community) who I’ve seen a few times touring our beautiful streets in her wheelchair. We have passed only twice, and both times she was on one side of the street and I was on the other. After a pleasant “Hi!”, she continued wheeling on down the sidewalk, leading me to believe that she probably wasn’t interested in talking. Needless to say, she was added to my prayer list at that moment, but even the second time we passed, I didn’t get any sign that said “welcome”

But today, we were approaching each other on the same side of the street, and I had about half a block to organize my approach for a conversation. This time when I said, “Good Morning”, our eyes met and I got a bit of a smile, and also a return salutation. “My name’s Dan, and this is Cliff and Glenn. What’s your name?”  We chatted for a while, and when I sensed she was relaxed, I told her about Pam, and that eighteen months ago, she, too, was in a wheelchair. Needless to say, this got her attention. She asked good questions, which set me up for my reason for this conversation.

“Donna”, I finally said, “obviously I don’t know you very well, but if you don’t mind, can I ask where you are in your spiritual belief?”  She told me that when she was 15, she was in a terrible automobile accident that left her with a spinal injury. Her parents took her to a renowned miracle healer who performed healing rituals over her. But, she reluctantly professed, “obviously it didn’t work.” Therefore, she deduced that this was God’s will for her life. “I believe I am supposed to suffer. That’s what the Bible says. I believe this is God’s plan for me, and I have accepted His will.” Wow! I was stunned at first, then I felt overwhelming compassion for her. “Donna”, I said, “Pam and I have been part of healing ministry for quite a few years, and we both have witnessed, and experienced, incredible miracles.

At this point, I didn’t want to go any further with her. I didn’t want her to be any more overwhelmed than I knew she already was. So, I said, “If you want to talk more about this topic, or have any questions, I would love to talk with you again. But I will leave that up to you.” Then I went on to say, “This is undoubtedly one of the most misunderstood of the spiritual truths, and also one of the most abused and misused spiritual truth”. Therefore, I don’t want you thinking, when you see me approaching, ‘Yikes, here he comes. I hope he leaves me alone.” She smiled and thanked me for my time, then we went our separate ways…me asking God to bring her across my path again, and her…?”

I can’t get this lady off my mind.  First, I am astounded that she just accepted her affliction as “God’s will”, and consequently has put up with it for most of her life. And secondly, I am deeply concerned about the many who miss out on all God has planned for them because they don’t know the Truth, or because someone has sold them a counterfeit truth.  No doubt, God of the Old Testament punished people for their sins. But we live under the New Covenant, and if we are in Christ, the sin issue is over for us!  Why? Because Jesus shed His blood on the cross, in our place, to satisfy God’s wrath against us. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. That was God’s plan for our salvation.  What a reflection of His love for us. That’s who He is. He IS LOVE! So, if that is true…and it IS…it is NOT His will for us to suffer. Pain, suffering, tears, and even death was/is not part of His plan for us.

Jesus came to give us life…His life! Prior to this fulfillment of His Father’s plan, “we were all dead because of our iniquities. (our sins) It is only because of His grace (our unmerited favor) that we are saved”. (Ephesians 2:5) In fact, Jesus came not only to give us His life, but “He wants us to live this (new) life to the fullest.” (John 10:10)

So, you might be asking yourself, “What exactly does that mean?” My response would be: “Since we are now in Christ, we have inherited eternal life, meaning we did nothing to earn this gift, and we certainly didn’t deserve this gift.  But because we are now sin-free, we qualify to enter the Kingdom of heaven. (Remember, previously our sins kept us separated from God.) But God, in His gracious kindness, proclaimed, “I will remember their sins no more. I have cast them away as far as the east is from the west.” (Hebrews 8:12 and Psalm 103:12) Not only are we now sin-free, but God Himself said He would never count those sins against us. The truth found in these two Scriptures alone should fill us with joy; they should give us a confident sense of peace and serenity that can be found in NO other source.

Freedom from disease, pain and suffering was/is part of the atonement. Jesus died not only for the remission of our sins, but His blood also cancelled out disease, pain, and suffering. “By His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) He paid for this redemption at the whipping post. God also proclaimed through David in Psalm 107:20, “I sent My Word (meaning Jesus Christ) and healed their diseases.”  He also said, “I will restore their health and heal their wounds.” (Jeremiah 32:17) These words are promises from the Lord God Almighty Jehovah, God of the Old and New Testament.

If God said these words, are they true? Well, right there is the question that each of us must answer before we can even begin tackling what will undoubtedly be a challenging journey. Let’s use Jesus’ response to Jairus (when he had just received word that his daughter had died), as our unshakable foundation. Jesus’ succinct answer was, “Don’t be afraid; trust Me!” (Mark 5:36)

That IS the answer…pure and simple. God’s promises ARE Truth! If He said it is done, it IS done. Period! Charles Capps refers to this truth in his book, “God’s Creative Power for Healing” as “calling (or standing on) God’s promise, even though it may not be a reality yet in your body. You continue to call them until they are manifested in your body.” He went on to say, “You have a God-given right to exercise authority over your body.” “We are heir to every Spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm” (Ephesians 1:2), and one of those Spiritual blessings is Spiritual healing. It is ours to claim, and when we stand on (pray out loud God’s blessing), we are fulfilling the truth of yet another Scripture: “God does not want His Word to return void.” (Isaiah 55:10)

This is a complicated subject, yet the Truths found in God’s Word are absolutely the firm foundation for trusting and believing. No doubt pain and suffering are a part of everyone’s life, but how we respond to those challenges is what makes all the difference in the final outcome. God wants us to turn to Him for our wisdom, courage and strength. Spiritual healing is a blessing, and God does indeed want to bless us. Let me repeat once again Jesus’ simple (yet seemingly impossible) answer: “Don’t be afraid; Trust Me! Truth be told, this will happen, but only when one knows, and believes The Truth!  My prayer is this: “God, please give me the opportunity to share these incredible truths with Donna”.

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May God Bless You All Abundantly…

Dan Presgrave (a.k.a. Pastor Dan)