My Mother's Journey - Part 3

Before you read the next installment of My Mother's Journey, please read the first installment...

My Mother's Journey - Part 1
My Mother's Journey - Part 2

The next few days I woke early in the morning and spent much time in prayer, declaring and encouraging my own heart with what the Lord had promised through the account of Hezekiah. With it came the comforting assurance from the Lord from John 11:4:

"This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it".

We flew down to Melbourne on the 22nd December to be with David and the family for Christmas and, especially, to be with him to pray with him. As the taxi arrived at the house, David came out the front door to greet us. Although we had communicated everyday by phone and email, I had not seen him for a few months. To see him now so thin hit like a dagger to my heart.

We spent the day together, sharing the words of the Lord and enjoying the time with the children and we all went out for dinner together. David gave us his car to use and, in the evening, Paul and I drove to the hotel where we would be staying. We were now alone and, with the sight of David still heavy in my soul, the tears were trying to flow. Paul comforted me saying, "It's all right to cry, darling...it's okay," but I held them back as best I could, trying to keep my heart focussed on the promises of the Lord. We had organised to meet some friends for lunch the next day but I just felt I couldn't go, I needed to spend time with the Lord. So Paul went and I stayed in the hotel room.

Alone with the Lord I let my emotions free. I cannot put into words the agony of soul, the very physical pain like a sword thrust into the depth of my being, but I poured out the pain of my heart to the Lord. How long I lay weeping on the bed I don't know but the gentle comfort of the Lord began to come. Clearly to my mind came the words of Jesus in John 5:17-21:

"My Father is always at His work, even to this day."

I got to my feet and began to thank the Lord for what He was doing in David today - that every day He was at work and the sense that, in prayer, we join Him each day in the work that He is doing.

The next day again the enemy began to attack my heart with fear. I began to read through the Gospels of the Lord Jesus' compassion reaching out to people in the wonderful healings and miracles he performed. I came to the account in Luke 8:41-42,49-56 of Jairus coming to Jesus pleading with him to heal his 12 year-old daughter who was dying, but then, as they were on the way to the house, someone came and told Jairus, "Your daughter is dead...Don't bother the teacher any more." It was as though the words Jesus then spoke to Jairus were being spoken directly to me...

"DON'T BE AFRAID; JUST BELIEVE..."

I can honestly say that since that moment fear left my heart. The few times since, when it has tried to raise its ugly head, these words immediately are spoken to my heart again and a wonderful peace and assurance from the Lord fills me.

The Lord has given many others words of encouragement which would take too long to share in detail, but each day has been a sense of, through prayer, knowing what He is doing that particular day and joining Him in His work of healing. He has given many scriptures of comfort and encouragement, all of them assurances of His faithfulness to His promises. I love that scripture in 2 Corinthians 1:20...

"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God."

AMEN!