Trust Jesus For Yourself
Updated: Jun 1, 2022
For some time now, I’ve believed that God’s favor is unexplained. Whether I have deserved it or not, he has provided it graciously throughout my entire life.
This is not to say that I haven’t been reminded of the cruel existence of evil or the consequences of my actions, but his grace has been a resource used to stay positive in situations that I have no control over.
Because of this, people assume that I rarely worry or get scared, but I do. I face the same problems as everyone else and I’ve learned from my wife that buried within our greatest fear exists an even greater truth: If God brought you to it, he will bring you through it.
How would you react to being told you’re seriously ill and your chances of making it through the night are slim. Could any of us actually wrap our minds around a statement like that? How could we be capable of issuing an appropriate response?
13 years ago, I walked into the hospital ER knowing something was wrong, but I never expected news so bleak. First, things seemed routine. The nurse took a little blood, asked me some questions and told me to wait until someone called my name.
What wasn’t routine was the gurney they brought for me and the restraints used to keep me from moving once I was in it. Several times I asked if the straps were necessary and finally, a doctor confirmed they were.
My body had lost the natural ability to reproduce red blood cells and now, I was at risk of falling and bleeding out. I was told that I might not make it through the night. I had no clear answers to what came next. My faith in God was being tested. Despite it all, I was led to prayer.
I remember feeling out of control, unable to handle anything that was happening. I needed help. I kept reciting Joshua 1:9, “be strong and courageous.”
Be strong and courageous, be strong and courageous. “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go,” the verse continues.
I meditated on how great it is to be a child of God, how much I know I’m loved, cherished and set apart and, knowing I am a co-heir with Christ and unable to repay the cost of my salvation, I was grateful.
As the tears came, I had faith God was listening, but I needed him to show me I was going to be okay by putting some super on my natural. As I spoke to him, a calm came over me. Moments later, a doctor I hadn’t spoken to yet pulled back the curtain and gave me an update.
“I know what’s going on with you,” he said. “You have a rare blood disorder. I’ve been studying cases like yours for the last six months and I’ve noticed similarities. I happened to overhear the staff talking about you and felt like you needed my help.”
Jesus.
What are the odds of that? The only doctor in that building who knew how to save my life wasn’t even in the ER. He just happened to be walking by. This was no coincidence, this was God.
Right then I believed Jesus Christ to be the great physician, and everything must bow to him. According to Hebrews 11:1, “Faith is the confidence of things hoped for and the assurance of things not seen.” I just needed to put some faith on it.
Even as Christians we are tested and have to dig deep to put all our trust in God to handle what’s going on in our lives. This day became a turning point for me in the strength and confidence of my faith.
Romans 8:28 reads, “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purpose.”
So be encouraged if you are weary and let this be an invitation if you’re curious. You are loved, cherished and set apart. In some cases, this can be hard to believe, but like me, you’ll just have to trust Jesus for yourself.
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