When our second daughter was a little girl, she was covered with chronic eczema. She had regular hospital and specialist appointments and would often become infected all over her body. Several times a day, we would have to bath her in special medicated lotions, then cover her from head to toe in ointments and moisturizer. After soaking bandages in warm water, we would then have to wrap her up like a mummy, finally putting on top of those wet bandages (called wet dressings) a set of dry clothes. She would have to stay in this state for close to an hour.
We chose to do this process four times a day instead of being admitted and treated in the hospital.
There were days I fought back the tears as I carefully applied ointments to the infected areas all over her little body.
In those years, I learnt to hold onto God's promises and that instead of focusing on the external circumstances or suffering in front of you to, look at the promises in God's word. I had to decide to hold onto what God said about our daughter and stand on that.
We also taught her God's promises; we prayed, spoke what God said, and refused to give up.
I would tell her, "find a spot without eczema no matter how small; that beautiful clear, smooth skin is what you are going to have all over you. I would speak over her, "people are going to look at you and say, "look what beautiful skin you have". I was speaking those things that are not, as though they are.
"Abraham acted in faith when he stood in the presence of God, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence things that don't yet exist." (Romans 4:17)
In the natural, it seemed ridiculous, but I was looking through the eyes of God's promises, though eyes of faith.
Our daughter is in her mid-twenties now, and you would never know except for two small scars on her arm what she went through as a child. It's years since she was discharged from the hospital as an outpatient, but on the last day she visited her specialist who had cared for her for through all those years, she stood back, looked at her with tears in her eyes, and said, "just look at you", "look how beautiful you are and how clear and smooth your skin is".
Yes, I agreed quietly that God is so faithful, and we can hold onto His promises!
Be encouraged today that even when you may face temporary setbacks or even "faith hits", to remember that doesn't have to be the end. Reach out to Jesus, lay hold of His promises, dust yourself off if need be, but don't concede defeat. It may look impossible, but look again through the eyes of His promises and see and speak your breakthrough!
But in all these things, we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)
“I am alert and active watching over My word to perform it .” (Jeremiah 1:12)
Prayer: Lord, I hold onto your promises. I thank you that you are faithful to your word, and even if I have temporary setbacks, I will not be defeated. I believe what you say about my circumstances - I win. In Jesus name amen.
Comments