2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:
3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,
4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies...
Think about the way that the Lord will work victory in our lives. When we were separated from Him, in bondage to the power of sin, He came to bring renewal for our spirits and healing for our souls. In our struggles, we can know the One who brings peace. And, when we have physical challenges and are beset by infirmities, in faith we can come before Him. In prayer, we call out to a faithful Lord who hears us and wants the best for us.
Exodus 15 teaches us a valuable lesson of the nature of God - He is the One whom we can turn to when we face infirmities in our lives, and when we encounter spiritual and emotional challenges as
well. Verse 26 says:
"...If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you."
A remarkable story of reversal concerns a 17-year-old girl and recent high school graduate who was injured after sliding off the hood of a friend's car back in 2011. According to a story on the ChristianNews.net website, Taylor Hale of Waukee, Iowa was joking around with another girl after a football game - they did not want a friend of theirs to leave, so they sat on his car. He backed up, and Taylor fell and hit her head hard on the pavement. She was unresponsive.
She was taken to the hospital and placed in a medically-induced coma. However, her brain began to hemorrhage days later, and doctors found that part of her brain was sinking into her spinal canal. Her mother, Stacy, told local television station, KCCI, “That’s when they said, ‘There’s nothing we can do. It’s basically irreversible.’” They began to prepare for Taylor's death.
A family friend, Jeff Stickel who was a chiropractor, visited the hospital. He had felt that God was impressing upon him to adjust the girl. Her parents didn't feel comfortable with that, so he asked if he could simply pray with them. They agreed. He laid his hands on the girl's neck and prayed for the Lord to heal her body.
Hospital staff turned off Hale’s life support hours later, but as they did, they noticed that Taylor was trying to take breaths on her own. They reconnected life support and noted throughout the day that her brain activity began to increase. She slowly began waking up and tried to talk.
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Exodus 15 teaches us a valuable lesson of the nature of God - He is the One whom we can turn to when we face infirmities in our lives, and when we encounter spiritual and emotional challenges as
well. Verse 26 says:
"...If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you."
A remarkable story of reversal concerns a 17-year-old girl and recent high school graduate who was injured after sliding off the hood of a friend's car back in 2011. According to a story on the ChristianNews.net website, Taylor Hale of Waukee, Iowa was joking around with another girl after a football game - they did not want a friend of theirs to leave, so they sat on his car. He backed up, and Taylor fell and hit her head hard on the pavement. She was unresponsive.
She was taken to the hospital and placed in a medically-induced coma. However, her brain began to hemorrhage days later, and doctors found that part of her brain was sinking into her spinal canal. Her mother, Stacy, told local television station, KCCI, “That’s when they said, ‘There’s nothing we can do. It’s basically irreversible.’” They began to prepare for Taylor's death.
A family friend, Jeff Stickel who was a chiropractor, visited the hospital. He had felt that God was impressing upon him to adjust the girl. Her parents didn't feel comfortable with that, so he asked if he could simply pray with them. They agreed. He laid his hands on the girl's neck and prayed for the Lord to heal her body.
Hospital staff turned off Hale’s life support hours later, but as they did, they noticed that Taylor was trying to take breaths on her own. They reconnected life support and noted throughout the day that her brain activity began to increase. She slowly began waking up and tried to talk.
Her father, Chuck, told the Des Moines Register that “It was the hand of God at work,” adding, “That’s the only thing that can explain it.” She improved, underwent rehabilitation, and has progressed to where she lives a relatively normal life, even though she struggles with short term memory and can't remember many of the details from her childhood. Taylor told reporters: “God can save people." She said, “I’m always thankful to all the doctors and nurses and therapists who helped me get better, but God did most of the saving.”
This is an inspiring story that can be instructive for each of us. It illustrates for us, first of all, that no challenge is too great for the Lord. Taylor Hale was thought to be on the verge of death - nothing could be done for her, it seemed. Then, a faithful servant obeyed the Lord and prayed for her. Recognizing that we serve a great, mighty, and loving God upon Whom we can call can bring hope to our hearts.
But, we also realize that the answer may not come in the form in which we desire it. There are many who pray for healing and do not see a total restoration - in fact, Taylor did not see that, either. There are those who are walking today, but with a limp. There are many who live life with a disability, but they can have hope because God knows what he's doing. Even though the healing may not come in the most desirable form, and perhaps in many cases, not at all, we can still trust a God who calls us to build our faith even in the challenges of our lives.
And, we continue to be hopeful, because we serve a God who specializes in reversals. Through Jesus, He has reversed the curse of sin and death. Because of Jesus, we can depend on Him to transform our lives, to bring us a new start, to issue us second chances; even second, third, and fourth chances - and more. He brings us victory out of the clutches of defeat, and can bring peace out of the midst of worry and fear. If we need to turn things around, we can depend on Him to give us the strength and power.
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