And The Sick Will Recover
(Part 1)
One day Marty and I decided to go pay a visit to some of
his relatives who lived across town. When we at arrived at the house we walked
in the front door and were welcomed by several of his family members.
Sitting around the living room was his
mother Shirley, his aunt Dorothy, his uncle Jack and his maternal grandmother,
Ethel. We talked for a while and the conversation quickly turned to the things
of God.
The Bible states in Mark 16:17-18,
"These signs will follow those who
believe: In my name
they will cast out demons... they will lay
hands on the
sick and they will recover."
I had been meditating on these scriptures
for some time and was convinced that God would back up every word if we would
only step out in faith. I began to boast to Marty's family about the greatness
of God and how nothing was too hard for Him. Now you have to be careful what
you say around some folks because they just might take you up on your offer.
Sure enough, Ethel looked over at Marty's
mom and said, "Shirley, why don't you let Jimmie pray for your legs."
I knew I was on the spot, but I also knew I had to make my promise good, so I
reluctantly got up from my chair and slowly walked over to where Shirley was
sitting.
Now Marty's family members were some of the
most humble people I ever knew and, while they were far from perfect, they did
have a great respect for the things of God. They also had a child-like faith
that would dare to hope for a miracle.
As I stood before Shirley, she told me she
was currently holding down a job as a waitress at a local truck stop but her
legs had begun to swell due to standing on her feet on a hard surface for long
periods of time.
She didn't want to lose her job but she knew
she couldn't keep working in her present condition, either. She also informed
me she had high blood pressure and would like for me to prayer for that, too.
I have to admit I was a little nervous but I
was determined to face this situation and trust in God to show up and do what
only He could do. I placed my hand on Shirley's shoulder and began to pray.
I suddenly began to feel a tingling settle
on my shoulders and travel down my arms, much like waves of mild electricity.
It was the same feeling I felt at Brother Glen's the night I met the
evangelists, right after I got saved.
Since then, I have come to understand this
sensation to be the presence of God's Spirit. (Days later Shirley would inform
me that all the swelling had gone down in her legs and her blood pressure was now
normal).
When I finished my prayer, I was relieved to
have made it through this minor test of my faith and was preparing to take my
seat and settle back into a casual conversation with everybody. But the evening
was still young and God had yet more spiritual lessons in store for this young
convert.
****************************************************
(Join me
next week for Part 2 of this inspiring true story)
More Acts of an Awesome God can be found on:
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