“….the God who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.”
Romans 4:17 (RSV)
This simple verse of scripture alone can give us the faith to believe for almost anything. The words,
“God gives life to the dead and calls into being, things that do not exist,” can pertain to any aspect of our lives that is perishing and needs a resurrection. Who doesn’t have something that needs to be brought back to life?
The Lord can bring life back to a dying marriage, a declining health situation and to people who’ve lost their faith. Jesus stood over Peter’s mother in law, and rebuked her fever, and the fever left her body immediately. She rose out of bed with a burst of energy, and began serving her house guests. We walk by faith, believing that Jesus is always standing over us.
I received sad news from my son Michael yesterday, that his wife filed for divorce and left him, taking with her, their two children, ages 11 and 13. This is a shock to all of us in the family. We never saw it coming and my son was also totally blindsided. He is devastated and I pray for him, their marriage, but especially for strength for my grandchildren who love their dad. I ask for prayer since this has left us all reeling.
Whenever I need to re-anchor my faith, and believe for God’s intervention in a devastating situation like this, I remind myself of the miracles that God has done in the past for me and other people I know.
I’m thinking of a miraculous healing of a man named Tom in my previous church. He had surgery to remove a tumor that was between his neck and shoulder, but woke up from surgery with a paralyzed arm.
In removing the tumor, the surgeon accidentally severed his nerves, which left irreversible damage. They tried performing corrective surgery and physical therapy, but he had no recovery of his arm function.
Thinking he would have a paralyzed arm for the rest of his life, Tom was praying about this one day, when he opened a bible, and saw the words, “Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver you.” (Psalm 50:15)
Those words stood out as if they were highlighted and shining.
Tom felt a surge of faith to believe God for healing. Shortly afterward, he heard about a healing prayer service scheduled to take place at a church in the city.
Tom went to the healing service, and the sermon theme was about how forgiveness must precede healing. Faith moves mountains, but healing flows when we forgive others, so in his heart, Tom forgave his surgeon for the injury he suffered.
Tom and many other people were prayed for at that prayer service, and when hands were laid on him, his pain disappeared immediately, but his paralysis remained-until a week later. One night while he was asleep, a male voice woke him up saying that he was sent to heal him. Tom felt himself touched by some heavenly being, though he saw no one. He was suddenly able to move his arm as he could do before his injury.
The damaged nerves in his body were regenerated by the power of God. Tom has had no deficits ever since then, and his physical therapists and doctors have no explanation for his amazing recovery. He is a man of faith who would love and trust God whether he was healed or not, but to this day, he tells his miracle story, giving God the credit and all the glory.
God is almighty and able to bring something out of nothing. He brings dead nerves back to life, restores life and love to dead marriages, brings faith to those who stopped believing, and can heal every physical or mental health illness in our bodies. We place all our hope and trust in Him.
Lord, thank you for bringing life to what was once dead, and calling into existence that which did not exist. Jesus, please send resurrection power into our lives to save, heal and restore us. Amen
