I think this is one of my favorite verses in all the Bible. God has shown me over and over and over again the truth of this verse. I always love it when He shows me firsthand the truth of His Word, and I especially love it when it is working for my good.
I have been struggling with pain in my hands for quite some time now. I finally couldn't take it any longer and went to an Orthopedic doctor. Unfortunately, the doc didn't have much good to tell me. After taking X-rays of both hands, he informed me that I have Osteoarthritis in both thumb joints and he gave me two options: Option 1: Cortisone shots in the thumb joints of both hands which would give temporary relief, or Option 2: Thumb joint replacement surgery where my thumb joints would be cut out and replaced with artificial joints which should give long term relief. Ha!
Well, since I am not fond of pain, neither option sounded too good to me. Nevertheless, in my mind, I immediately chose the Cortisone shot option. I knew it would be painful but also knew the pain would be fleeting, whereas the pain from the joint replacement surgery would be long-term. Unfortunately, which happens so often with me, I did not convey this sound thinking and my conclusion to the doctor but, gave him a response that seemed to take him by surprise.
After listening to him explain the two options to me, I said, "I'll do the Cortszone shots because I'm sure Jesus will come back before I need the thumb joint replacement surgery."
Ha! The doc just gave me a strange look and got really quiet. I knew he was thinking about what I had said. He then said, "The Bible says that no man knows the day or the hour when Jesus will return..........you will have the surgery!" Ha!
That was several weeks ago and I was able to enjoy relief from the Cortisone shots for about one week. Then the pain returned in full force.
This past week on Friday, as I was preparing to leave on my mission trip with Fellowship's students ministering on the Navajo Nation in New Mexico, I woke up in the morning with severe leg pains. I knew that I needed to go to the doctor as I would be leaving town soon. As I sat in my family doctor's office and listened to her talk about blood clots in the leg and how they can break off and go to your heart and kill you, I knew that I was enduring spiritual warfare meant to keep me from the mission that following week.
Then she began to tell me about using an anti-inflammatory medication that could take away the leg pain and also help me with my hand pain. Now that sounded pretty good to me, so I took the medication, went home and began to pray. Praise God, over the weekend my leg pain had disappeared and my hands were better!
The spiritual warfare that the enemy intended to harm me, absolutely backfired on him. Instead of the leg pain keeping me from my calling to facilitate a mission trip on the Navajo Nation, the medication intended for my leg not only helped me with the leg pain, but it helped me with my hand pain also. I was able to have a great week with my brothers and sisters in Christ on the Navajo Nation encouraging and being encouraged through Christ. All Praise to God! I absolutely saw the scripture "All things work together for good to those who love Christ and are called according to His purpose." come true in my life in this circumstance. What a mighty God we serve! No other God can "use evil for good." Genesis 50:20
The next time you are in a bad situation, I encourage you to trust that God will use it for your good if you truly love Christ and have embraced Him as your Savior. Give thanks to Him for your situation (I Thessalonians 5:18), Praise Him for who He is (Psalm 150) and then wait for Him to reveal the good to you. The good is there, you just need to wait for it to be shown to you.
Me and my helper during our mission trip at
Living Springs Church on the Navajo Nation
in Lybrook, New Mexico.
Encouraging You Through Christ!
All Praise, Honor and Glory To God!
