|
Words of Encouragement |
|
|
Answers
to Praise by Merlin R Carothers _____________________________________ Lungs Healed
in Ohio
Dear Sir, I shall always remember you as Colonel Carothers and sincerely thank and praise God for sending you to our town. I was a very ill person, both mentally and physically, when you prayed, and God healed me. I have taken no nerve medication or visited a doctor since last January (except for chest X rays). Just a few months before you came to Marion, I was told by my physician that I would need lung surgery. Since X rays (and all kinds of tests) showed lesions on the left lower lobe, numerous ones were taken, the kind that takes pictures of every layer of lung tissue.
For some reason, I pleaded for more time. Although I became very despondent, feeling sorry for myself and very bitter, I knew this was wrong. All the doctors did for me was load me with pills and various nerve medicines.
Being a nurse for forty years, I realized what was in store for me, and in my weakness, Satan went to work. I became so despondent that I was thinking of an easy way out. (God forgive me.) Self-pity took over. I had been a bedside nurse for forty years, and a Christian even longer than that. And I did not think it fair for me to have to suffer with no one to care for me – I thought.
Somehow, I found strength enough to get ready for the service that morning. I said to my husband, “Don’t ask any questions about why I am so determined to go.” He came along, thinking that he would have to take me to the emergency room at any time.
Colonel Carothers, when you prayed, God healed me. I have since had three chest X-rays, and they are okay. My lungs are clear. After the first X-ray in February, the doctor called me and said, “I have good news for you.” I said, “Yes, I know what it is.” I think he thought I was out of my mind. However, he said, “The lesions have cleared.” I was overjoyed and said thanks and praised God for healing me. Two more chest X-rays since then have been negative. I’ve never felt better or happier. All the burden was lifted. I have not been depressed and have more interest in life than ever before. I get tired at times, I mean physically, because I take care of my patient and help the girls with twenty-five others on this wing. I have read Prison to Praise many times and received great blessings. I have loaned it to others, and the reorders, I gave to special friends. If you are ever near our town, like within a radius of a hundred miles, please let us know so we’ll have the opportunity of hearing you again. Many people have heard my testimony. The doctors look at me in wonder when they see how healthy and happy I am and how hard I work. It seems that I cannot praise God enough for what he has done for me. My Comments
Many Christians would be willing to endure physical infirmity if they knew that God was going to heal them. I am often asked how we can pray for God to heal us, if we are thankful that we are ill. My answer to this is, that we could never be healed unless we were first sick. Therefore, when God permits Satan to attack our physical bodies, we can believe that God wanted to use this for some glorious purpose. We can then thank Him and believe that He knew what would help us. We can also thank Him that He has given us the desire to be well. There are many unfortunate people who do not even desire to be well. Since we want to be well, we can pray, “God, I thank You for my desire to be well, and I ask You, in Jesus’ name, to heal me.” It is then our opportunity to praise Him and to thank Him for our healing. Do not be disturbed if the symptoms remain. That is God’s problem. Our responsibility is to thank Him that He is healing us. How long should it take? That also is not our problem. God does not look at time as we do. He is only interested in what is best for you and for me. If it should take physical infirmity to build our faith and trust in Him, this is what He will permit to happen. The natural, human reaction is to think that perfect health would be more likely to build our faith than sickness. But everyday experiences prove this not to be true. When we are well in body, our faith is usually not stimulated to believe. Faith grows when results are not apparent. Therefore, faith is not dependent upon what we can see. It is dependent on what we believe. If God gives you the gift of having some need, and gives you desire to pray for that need, rejoice if He permits your faith to continually reach out to trust Him, regardless of the circumstances. So many people lose heart when they do not see results. They are unaware that lack of results is often God’s gift to help us learn to trust Him.
You may say, “Merlin Carothers is trying to sidestep the issue,” but I am sharing with you the wonderful power there is when we learn to trust God for what He is rather than for what He does. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered
him up for all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Rom.
8:32.)
* * *
Answers to Praise by Merlin R Carothers Ó Copyright 1972 by Logos International, Plainfield, NJ 07060 Printed in the United States of America SBN 912106-67-0 Used with permission. For more information about the Ministry and books of Merlin Carothers, please visit Foundation of Praise
Praise News ~ Merlin and Mary Carothers’ Monthly Newsletter |
|
Page
created 19 November 2007 / Page revised 19 November 2007
Acknowledgement Thank
you to Merlin for permission! Lynne Coulson 2003-2007
|
