August 10 2018 – Click here to listen
I went to the doc yesterday and lo and behold my vision is now 20/20 in the eye that was operated on. Thank God! Hallelujah! And thanks again for the many prayers for healing from you and people from all around the world. After my post-op meeting with the doctor, I was in such a celebratory mood I read every sign I saw aloud to my wife as we drove home. I think she is tired of this latest dilemma and you might be too, but having your vision restored is no small thing. When I began this process, I couldn’t read a roadside sign. It was just one big blur. Now they are crystal clear, at least in my left eye.
Jesus healed a man who was blind from birth. The passage is rather interesting: “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me . . . ” John 9:3
Hmmm . . . Christ says of calamities that they are not always to be looked on as special punishments of sin; sometimes they are for the glory of God, and to manifest His works. At the time this was written the Jews believed that any disease, deformity etc. was a direct result of sin either committed by the afflicted person or their ancestors. Jesus dispelled that notion and said that in this man’s case it was done to demonstrate the power of God. And it does just that and continues to serve as a reminder to me that God is in the miracle business.
One thing to note is that if we are to “display the works of God” as this verse instructs, then people must be made aware of them. Hence do not be discouraged that I have devoted two posts to this subject in two days. I give God the credit for restoring my vision. I’m ecstatic about it. No Jesus did not apply spittle and mud to my eyes, He listened to my prayers and those of others and guided the surgeon’s hands to remove the lens of my eye and put in another.
I have encountered various people through the years who don’t believe in doctors and insist that prayer alone is all that is needed to cure their ailments. A couple of years back I had three ruptured discs and two discs that were bulging in my neck and a surgeon skillfully removed those discs and fused five vertebrae together with metal plates and donor bone to end the tremendous pain I was undergoing. When I first entered the hospital a man whom I did not know had somehow found out about my condition and drove all the way from Orlando to pray for me. He ended up literally shouting at me in ER for agreeing to take pain medication to subdue the excruciating pain. He insisted that all I needed was prayer and told me not to have surgery or take any medication as that would be an insult to God.
I thanked him for his advice and told the nurse I needed something to ease the pain. He left in a huff and I had my operation the following day. It was wildly successful, and I have zero pain in my neck now. I know his intentions were good, but he was just wrong with his thinking. This is not to say that I don’t believe in direct miracles and prayers, I do. It is to say that doctors can be the miraculous vessels that God uses to accomplish His purpose.
Now I’m counting the days until I can get my right eye done so I can see like I could in my youth. Praise God that the macular degeneration is being withheld for now and I can continue unabated with my life, including being able to see well enough to write this post 5 days per week as I’ve done for over 20 years now.
Psalm 6:2
Have compassion on me, LORD, for I am weak. Heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony.
Psalm 34:20
For the LORD protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken!
Have a great weekend and go to church this Sunday!