I have a friend who has even struggling with health issues for a while. Diabetes led to kidney failure and a number of months back he developed a bad ulcer on his heel. This ulcer has been pretty problematic for him, and the only real blessing I can see in it is that the diabetes has caused such numbness from neuropathy that he can’t feel it. Although it’s also how he got the ulcer in the first place.
I have been praying with him for his foot somewhat regularly, and about a month ago I noticed some signs about his foot-health that were really concerning. Without going into gory details basically the tissue in the foot was slowly dying. My guess at that time was that if something radical didn’t happen then he was going to lose the foot. After I told him this exciting and uplifting news we went back into prayer for complete restoration of the very troubled appendage. The result? Just two days later he was emergently admitted to the hospital.
After meeting with a cluster of doctors at his bedside they all left except one remained behind. This surgeon informed him that he was going to lose his foot and that they would do surgery in two days. As you can imagine, my friend was having one of the worst moments of his life. But it seems that God had other plans. A pastor friend of his had been reading Proverbs that morning and he read a verse that struck a resounding chord within him.
“For The Lord will be your confidence, and your foot will not be taken.” Proverbs 3:26
He called our mutual friend to give him this word, which elated him significantly. Here, God was telling him to place his confidence in Him and that his foot would NOT be taken. My friend did this and took this word to heart. The next day another surgeon from another discipline walked into his room and said “Your circulation in that leg is too good. We aren’t going to take the foot.”
He underwent a few more weeks of treatment in the hospital and left with his foot doing much better. They even started him on special oxygen treatments to speed tissue healing, which they had not been doing prior to the most recent hospitalization. When I heard this story I felt very encouraged. You see, I knew what it was that I saw, and while I had been standing in faith, it was still quite difficult to look at the natural appearance of things and continue to believe for healing. Yet even when things got worse still, it was not too late. God chose his own moment in time to turn the situation around.
This was not only encouraging to me, but I felt this is testimony that is meant to bring encouragement to all people. You see, every individual has things they are believing, hoping, or even just wishing to receive from God. He is the God of Always Enough, and has limitless supply to meet every need. I was reminded through this that the situation does not matter, no matter how dark or horrid it may appear, there is a bright life-giving outcome that God has planned for me and those that I love, and he has planned the same for you.
It is too soon to give up and quit. Perseverance is what wins the race and gains the prize. Push through that problem. Push past that doubt. Ignore the voices of fear & limitation. You don’t know, but the next push, the next prayer, the next hour might contain the answer you have long been waiting to receive. You will make it through.
