Growing up on a farm, injuries were frequent but not taken too seriously. It seemed not much notice was given unless you were bleeding on something important or a bone might be broken. My parents were loving and attentive to our needs but by the time I came along they had passed through all the usual childhood diseases and mishaps with my three older siblings. So most of my scrapped knees, knots, bumps, bruises and the occasional lacerations were treated much the same way.
Swab some Monkey blood on it and slap a band-aid across it.
A quick hug and kiss on the head followed with “your okay, now go back outside and play.”
Sometimes if a rusty object was involved a calculation of the last Tetanus shot would be in question. If the records weren’t on hand, (and they never were), this could involve the whole family in a game of “who got what and at what age.”
And a couple of times my dad drew up a shot of penicillin from the livestock supply in the fridge while asking my Mom, “Pat, bout how much does Brenda weigh?”
Needless to say they were a tough crowd if a kid was looking for sympathy. Limping was ignored unless I was blocking the TV and make shift arm slings with dish towels were mocked severely.
As I grew older I didn’t mature much. I still had self-pity parties for any mishap or illness and milked them for all the sympathy I could get until I began to really study the Bible after I was born again. Jesus began to deliver me from self. Through the scriptures I began to discover that God loves us and wants us well. So I began to resist these sicknesses that would come at me. And to exercise and release my faith to receive healing in my body and emotions.
I have decided to magnify God and de-magnify my circumstances.
I recall a Wednesday evening when I hurt my foot. I’m still not sure how it happened. I just took a step on our driveway and heard/felt something pop and then severe pain!!! I immediately prayed in this manner, “I command you pain to leave my body and complete healing to return to my foot in Jesus name.” I felt no change but by faith (“is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen”) I started walking on it. Up and down the driveway.
I called someone to pray and agree with me that the pain had to go and the foot to be completely restored.
At one point the pain was so bad I got angry at it and stomped the hurt foot hard on the ground and again commanded pain to go in Jesus name. Believe it or not, it lessened.
The next day I went to work, there was still a tenderness and I was limping on it but nothing too bad. By Thursday night it was throbbing and my foot was swelling. (Now, I know what you might be thinking, the stomping on the ground thing was probably not too smart. But the pain was causing such fear in me that I had to get control of it and I’m not suggesting anyone should try this. Not that you would:)
I did take an Advil (that’s all we had in the house), went to bed around 9pm and tossed and turned most of the night. Even the weight of the sheet caused sharp pain. I moved to the recliner and eventually to the sofa where I propped it up.
I kept praying but I wasn’t asking God to heal my foot I was praising God for His goodness and deep love for us and thanking Him that my foot was already healed, “by the stripes of Jesus we WERE healed.” Over 2,000 years ago the healing for my foot took place because God knew it was going to happen and He already made the provision for it through Christ Jesus.
Now, here’s where the Sovereignty of God teaching is so damaging. That is to believe that nothing can happen to us without God’s approval. This leaves us passive and gives a revolving door for Satan to come and go as he pleases in our lives. It leaves us passive, not determined to receive by faith what God/Jesus has provided by His grace.
The healing had already taken place in the spiritual realm but by faith had to act on it. (And God will meet us where are are in our faith.)
I hope you understand my meaning and please feel free to contact me if you need me to explain further.
Our Heavenly Father gave His born again children the authority to give verbal commands and speak things in to existence. Faith/belief is the bridge between spiritual truth/provisions and the natural world/physical surroundings.
Well, with about two hours of sleep I headed off to work that Friday. I didn’t complain to anyone I just chose not to focus on it. I was still limping but not as much. As the day wore on the pain grew less and less. By five o’clock the swelling was completely gone and on Saturday I was walking with no limp or pain what so ever. It was as if the injury had never occurred!
GOD IS AWESOME!!!!!
I believe that God’s best for my foot was for an instant healing but I’m still renewing/re-programing my mind from forty years of unbelief/world philosophies so that I can believe/receive and act on the word of God. I haven’t arrived, but I’ve left …
“God … is … LOVE.”
“To be carnally minded (focused only on what you can see, taste, hear, smell and feel) is death but to be spiritually minded (focused on the things of God) is life and peace.”
(John 10:10; Romans 8:6, 10:17, 12:2; Hebrews 11:1; 1 Peter 2:24; Matt. 17:20; Proverbs 18:21)
Contact Brenda Groves at: bkgroves1996@yahoo.com
