by Linda Sykes
This is a story about how God kept giving me a message over and over and over. Once I got it, He told me to share it with you. Like many things in life, I don’t know why.
What I do know, this is for you.
Our story.
After battling a nagging case of pneumonia my husband John was diagnosed with a tumor in his left lung September 2006. Repeated testing revealed the tumor was not cancer, and we rejoiced. Nevertheless his wise doctor said the 7 cm tumor should be removed and we agreed. But there was a catch. Since it wasn’t cancer my courageous John decided to wait until after the Fort Lauderdale Christmas Pageant at our church home, First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale.
If you haven't been let me tell you it is a very big deal. It is a big deal to the 50,000 people who attend because it rivals a Broadway production. It is a bigger deal to the 1,000+ cast members who donate their time in 19 performances and thousands of hours of practice as an act of worship.
2006 was John's 3rd pageant. He joined the family of Christ in May 2004. His pageant “job” was to stand guard on the stage door, where he quickly began to know everyone. He wouldn't miss it for the world, and that little ‘ole tumor would just have to wait.
First, the card.
We received a Christmas card that year from my cousin Irene with a hand written bible verse on the inside. It simply said, 'Heal me oh Lord and I shall be healed.' There wasn’t any scripture reference for the verse. It touched me. I didn't know my cousin all that well, growing up in separate states, and thought she too must have my faith. Pretty cool I thought.
Next, the radio show.
The next day while listening to a Christian radio station I heard a prayer request for a man who had been diagnosed with cancer and was going in for surgery. The prayer request claimed a verse for healing 'Heal me oh Lord, and I shall be healed'. Of course it caught my ear but I missed the verse’s reference. I thought how interesting that the same verse had come to me twice in 2 days.
The following day; same time, driving the same path, same station, I heard the report that he was healed. The cancer was gone when they examined him before surgery! They were rejoicing and I was with them. I was going to have to look this bible verse up!
The twist.
John had surgery to remove the tumor December 20, 2006. Our 15 year-old daughter Alice and I were in the waiting room surrounded by our beloved church family. Pastor Brian and Connie Doyle were there early enough to pray with John before surgery. There was a whole slew of others, around 20 friends in all. In the waiting room we effectively had church, which is what happens when this family is together.
I decided with all this bible brainpower in the room that someone could tell me the reference to the verse 'Heal me oh Lord and I shall be healed'. After much search through Bibles on hand we couldn't find it. Someone finally said with authority it was in Psalms so I decided to find it later.
As the day dragged on we really embraced the concept of ‘waiting‘ room. John should have been out of surgery at noon, but it wasn't until 2 that the doctor finally showed up. He came right at me and told me that the tumor was much larger than expected and it was cancer.
We were all stunned. However the family of faith quickly kicked into gear with prayer networks and simple hugs. What was supposed to have been a serious surgery with a good outcome grew into something bigger and sinister. As the day turned to evening friends filtered to their homes. One of the last to leave, my dear sister in Christ, Connie Doyle was urged to go home.
Then the gift.
Less than an hour later Connie called me all excited. She had found the verse!
When she arrived home she opened a Christmas gift from Cynthia Thompson, Pastor Larry's wife. It was a daily devotional; you know the kind, with a verse on every day. She decided to turn to the entry for that day and there it was...Jeremiah 17:14 ' Heal me oh Lord and I shall be healed, save me and I shall be saved!' We were just blown away.
By this time God really had my attention. We wrote the verse on the white board in John’s hospital room and claimed it for his healing. And we added the next part of the verse which I truly love.
Heal me oh Lord and I shall be healed, save me and I shall be saved, for you are the one that I praise.
Three times He sent this word to me for John and our family to have faith for healing, to trust him for salvation and to praise him in the storm. He sent the message in a card, on a radio show and in a gift.
And then very much to my surprise, He gave it to me again.
Many nights had passed after the surgery before I again crawled into our bed at home. It was strange being there without John, but he had recovered enough to let me go home and rest in good conscious. As I had done many nights in my life before turning out the light, I picked up my bedside bible I thought , I am going to look up our verse! I flipped my bible to Jeremiah and then chapter 17... I couldn't believe it. A dog eared page marked my starting point, flipping back just one page was Jeremiah 17. My last sleepy reading before the hospital ordeal began, 'Heal me oh Lord and I shall be healed, save me and I shall be saved, for you are the one that I praise’.
Four times! God knows I am slow to get the message sometimes and he loves me enough to speak to me again and again until I get it.
It is now February 2009. John has been cancer free for 2 years. And we are still giving praise to the one who heals and saves us.
If you are still reading this, thank you. To say these words are life changing to me is an understatement.
Let me attempt to tell you what I mean.
‘Heal me oh Lord‘. It is a cry out to Him, the one who can heal, the master physician. It is a simple and yet bold request, and it recognizes the sovereignty of the Lord. We submit to his will and we come to ask for help. Who do you ask for help when you need it?
The next part, ‘and I shall be healed’ is a statement of faith, belief and strength, claiming the victory of healing in advance!
And the second sweet part, ‘save me’, another cry out for help, for salvation, for relief, for peace, to Abba Father the comforter, the only one who can save me and you too for that matter. Whatever you need to be saved from, he can lift your burden. His yoke is easy and his burden is light.
Then it goes on to say ‘and I shall be saved’, again reflecting wonderful faith, a position of strength, a confession of complete trust, just a word to our Lord and it is done. Those of us who believe in Christ can come freely to our heavenly Father by the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross. We can make ‘I shall’ statements in the very toughest of times. Can you?
Then last ‘for you are the one that I praise’ is a love note. If I could, I would have everyone on this planet have one sweet moment when they are washed in God’s love.
You can see how this verse touches our family.
But I now know that wasn’t the only reason he showed this to me.
He showed this verse to me so I could tell you that He loves you and He wants you to know that He is there for you.
That is why I wrote this.
And that is why you read it.
He is waiting for you to seek Him, and He won’t give up on you until you do.
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