I was fifteen and a sophomore in high school. That can be a great time, but it can also be a cruel time. As a skinny kid and also the new kid in school, I immediately became one of the class nerds (do they use that term anymore?). Anyway, to add to the peer-pressure of the day, a lump arose on the left side of my neck. Great! Now, not only was I the skinny, nerdy kid, but now I was also the “hunch-back” of high school! Mom and Dad took me to see a doctor and surgery was recommended, stating that a cist had arisen on my neck and a simple operation to remove it would remedy the situation post-haste. It was scheduled and, frankly, I was a little excited to think about spending a week in the hospital and getting out of school (in those days what now would have been an outpatient surgery usually took a week of recovery).
During those years, we attended a congregation that strongly believed in the power of prayer. I did too. The Sunday night before my scheduled surgery, Mom had me go up for prayer. The people gathered around me asking God for a miracle on my behalf, but what they didn’t know is that while they were praying for God to heal me, I believed in the power of prayer so much that I was secretly praying that God wouldn’t heal me because I wanted that time off from school! What a stupid thing to do! Needless to say, I wasn’t healed that night.
I had the surgery, and got my neck sewed up. The hospital stay was nothing like I had hoped. It wasn’t fun at all. There was nothing on TV during the day except for soap operas. Yech! I hated soap operas! What a boring, long and awful hospital stay!
After being released I had to return to school. So, there I was, the skinny, nerdy, new guy, but instead of a lump on the side of my neck, I now sported a very large bandage! How was I going to explain that? I made up a story that made me popular for a day or two. I told those who asked, that I had been in a knife fight and “you should see the other guy!”
But after a couple of weeks my neck began to swell again. It would get as large as it been prior to the surgery then, in a weak spot where a drain had been, it would burst open, drain out, and the process would start all over again. After about three cycles of this we consulted another doctor who immediately diagnosed that if I didn’t have another surgery this would go on for the rest of my life. But I wasn’t ready for another surgery. I had learned my lesson. I prayed to God, repented for my stupidity, and to my relief, God chose to heal me. It finished draining that last time, healed up and it has never happened again. I am now 71 and can testify that God gave me a personal miracle.
I know that many who are reading this have been looking for their own personal miracle. You may have a much more serious need than I had. For some reason God has not granted your request. I wish I could tell you why. Frankly, no one knows the mind of God, His purposes, or His wisdom in each individual case. Sometimes He chooses to heal and other times He doesn’t. I can’t explain it. I know His healing power is real but I can’t give you any magical formula or procedure to make Him work His power in your situation. I wish I could, but in reality, no one on the face of this planet can do that, regardless what they may claim. We keep praying and believing. And I know this may sound like a complete copout, but if we accept His free gift of salvation, we will be completely and forever healed when we reach Heaven.
You see, that is the real miracle. Miracles that take place here on this planet are all temporary. Those who receive healing will eventually get sick again. Even those Jesus raised from the dead had to die again. All those miracles witness of His power and might. They serve to testify of the reality of God. But once again, they were and are, only temporary.
The greatest miracle is one that has been granted to mankind that is personal for each and every individual who will accept it. It is the miracle of deliverance from the curse of hell. You see, because Adam, the first man, sinned against God in Eden, all of us (who would have done the same thing Adam did had we been there in his place) are cursed to eternal death and destruction. It is eternal because it will never end. There is absolutely nothing we can do on our own to escape it.
The price to pay for its reversal required a sinless sacrifice, shedding sinless blood for all. Only sinless blood could pay for what had been done. But not only that, the sacrifice also had to be resurrected. God came to Earth in the form of His Son. He was born to a virgin thus not inheriting the sin of man. Then He and only He, lived a perfect, sinless life. He was crucified shedding His innocent blood. Man thought he was killing a threat, but in reality, he was sacrificing the only One Who could pay for our sin. Jesus died, and on the third day was resurrected to never die again. Now, all we must do is accept His sacrifice, let His shed blood cover our deadly, dark sin, and we can be saved from that curse of eternal death in hell. That is a miracle. It is the greatest of miracles. No healing, physically, emotionally or other could ever be greater.
Not only did Jesus do it for all mankind, but He also did it just for you. How can God be personal with each and every one who will come to him? I can’t explain it. I have no idea how He can deal with each one of the millions who have come to Him personally. But then, that’s why He is God. He does. He cares for all of mankind, but He also cares just for me, and just for you. When you accept Him as your Savior, indeed He does become your personal Savior.
Jesus told the parable of the sheep. There were one hundred of them. One of them went astray. Most of us would have said, “Oh well; I still have ninety-nine.” But not the Good Shepherd. He left the ninety-nine and went looking for that one sheep. That one sheep is me and it is you. He loves us so much that He regards each of those who choose to follow Him one on one.
That is just exactly what we need. He is there for all of us. But He is also there just for me and just for you. If you haven’t accepted His free gift of salvation, today would be a good day to do that. All you have to do is to believe and ask and repent of your sin, then you too can be saved from the awful destruction of hell. Don’t put it off. Make that decision now. It is a miracle just for you!
— Jerry D. Ousley is the author of “Soul Challenge”, “Soul Journey”, “Ordeal”, “The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional” and his first novel “The Shoe Tree.” Newer books include “Finality” and “Dividing God’s Church.” Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.