| Subject: Help Thou Mine Unbelief (this one is personal) |
Author:
Hillbilly
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Date Posted: 22:12:53 12/16/14 Tue
Mark 9:23-24 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
Ranked with the highest of spiritual events is the moment you realize your prayers have been answered. Depending on the circumstances you may not realize that God has answered your prayers although in fact He has. The father of the child in the passage knew of the miracles that Jesus had done for others and he knew that Jesus could indeed help his son but there was that little nagging in the back of his mind that questioned not so much could He as it did "would He". This is the doubt that comes up in the minds of Christians all the time.
We believe in prayer and know that Jesus can answer prayer but we also know that God is sovereign and has a sovereign will. We know that if it is God's will to do something it will be done. We also know that if it is not in His will to do something He will not do it. This is the quandary a Christian often finds himself or herself in. We will talk to God in a fashion that says; "Lord, I know that you can answer my prayer if you but will". When we do this we are like the man above and we think we are doubting God.
Folks, this is something I admit I have often wrestled with. We pray for healing and it does not come and we think; "My faith is just too weak". So we determine in our minds and hearts to pray harder and believe harder and cast out our doubts. Well, good luck with that, for as long as there is a devil to plant seeds of doubt you will have those doubts come up time and again.
My wife has been sick for a large part of her adult life and there is no telling at the hours of prayer that have been prayed for her. Not just from family and our Church family and friends but from people all across this good land. I know that many prayers have been prayed from you good folks that visit here and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
In the last 17 years my wife has been close to the doors of death several times. Each time prayers have been prayed earnestly and she has recovered. Her sickness has never left her but she has been lifted back up, on many occasions to the point you would not know of all the infirmities in her body. Crohns disease, Graves disease, Afib., Mitro Valve Prolapse, allergy related emphysema, severe Arthritis, Pyoderma Gangrenosum, (an extremely painful skin disease associated with her Crohns) and on top of that add several surgeries and a worn out hip joint that is needing replacing.
I praise God for His great mercy through all of this as He has lifted her up so many times and she has still kept her faith.
Recently Dale went back into the hospital with what was diagnosed as a lung infection but they didn't know what kind of infection. They couldn't be sure whether it was bacterial or viral so they just threw the "kitchen sink" at it and hoped for the best. While they hoped and added more and more strong antibiotics the fever would not go away. For 17 days she lay in the hospital bed in a very sick condition.
She came out of the hospital with many prescriptions for strong antibiotics that showed no power against the infection and the more she took them the sicker she felt. They set her up for over two months of antibiotic infusions and prescribed a new antibiotic that was to cost $100 a day and they told us to expect to be on them for up to 8 months. They also told us our insurance would not cover the drug because it was not specifically for what they were treating her for. This was funny in a way because they had admitted to us they didn't know what she had!
To shorten the account just let me tell you that we got an appointment at Vanderbilt as soon as we could after leaving the hospital and went. Her Infectious Disease doctor at Vanderbilt told her that she thought the antibiotics were as much the problem as anything else at the moment and while it was her decision she advised her to come off all the antibiotics.
Dale agreed and came off them. She started improving very soon after that and each day as the meds cleared her body she got stronger and stronger. Today she has no sign of her sickness and is feeling quite well with the exception of her hip. Hopefully that can be remedied soon after the first of the year.
Now here is the great part. Her Crohns is in remission. Her Pyoderma is in remission and she has been able to return to Church. "Ain't God good!!".
Sunday before last she got up and sang "At The Shepherd's Side" and received a standing ovation from the congregation. Our Pastor stood before the congregation and said this; "Folks, I don't know whether or not you realize it but you have just witnessed a miracle". He went on to tell how he had visited her in the hospital and when he saw her he felt she was close to death. He told me personally he was afraid she might not make it. God is so good and folks He does answer prayers.
The breathing treatments Dale has been taking for the last few years had left her throat in such a condition she could not sing. The antibiotics and lung medication left her throat full of Thrush and it was very weak and raspy. You would not have known it Sunday before last. Her voice was clear (except from choking up with emotion a few times during the song) and strong. There were very few dry eyes in the Church that Sunday morning, including mine.
Folks, Dale has had a great desire to praise the Lord through song for many years and God blessed her with a beautiful voice. I could not understand why He would let that voice fall silent for such a long time. I prayed and prayed for God to let her sing again. HE DID JUST THAT!
"Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief"
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