Something strange happened Friday night and it gave me a flashback of a similar experience in Swaziland. Two months ago I was sitting on a mat in a bedroom praying for an elderly woman’s sight to return and bones to stop hurting. Her daughter was praying that she herself be taken because she couldn’t stand to see her mother in so much pain any longer. Three others and I prayed and prayed and believed in faith that this woman would be healed. I was certain we would see a miracle. But the next day when we returned she was still blind and she still had pain in her bones. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. I was devastated and it really bothered me. What harm would it bring for this woman to be healed? Many discussions on healing and God’s goodness followed.
Now flash forward to India. New continent, new people, new culture, but the same frustration. My team and I were in a village in southern India standing over a man pleading for healing. This man had been in an auto accident a year ago, had three unsuccessful operations, and was now bedridden. The doctors told him all he could do is wait for the bone to heal; meanwhile he’s in excruciating pain. We prayed three times for God to make him whole. I envisioned the whole thing. The torture device known as a leg brace with spikes protruding directly into the femur would fall off, the bone would be restored, and the man would jump up praising God. Mass rejoicing and glory to God would follow. I had it all worked out in my head. But nothing happened. The torture device was still in place, the bone was still broken, and the man would still in misery.
I was mad. I couldn’t understand why an all-powerful, compassionate God wouldn’t come down and take away this family’s pain. I railed at God in my head. Why? Why? Why? It wasn’t right for someone to suffer so much for so long with no change and no answer from God. Do your thing, God; this is easy for you; show Your child You love him. I left that hut dejected, discouraged, and ready to go home. But there were still people needing prayer and still a church service to lead. Our team huddled up and asked the Father to fill us up. Because we were tapped out. About fifteen minutes later the Lord did a beautiful thing. He gave Hyphen (our team leader) a scripture. Luke 18. And the first verse she read was “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.” WOW. Suddenly, Hyphen had a sermon to deliver. It was a message to the village of the persistent widow. But more significantly it was a lesson to me and to my team to not give up. God showed up that night, just not in the way I was expecting. I wanted to see His power through healing, but He wanted to show me His power through encouragement. And His infinite wisdom.
Luke 18:7 “And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?”
