Published 10/17/19
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“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”
Reflect
How has faith changed your life? What helps your faith to grow?
Dennis was scheduled for bypass surgery to correct two heart blockages, yet this didn’t shake his faith. “Doctors had told me that my veins were 100 and 90 percent blocked,” he says.
“You can imagine my concern—knowing that the vein nicknamed the ‘widow maker’ was 90 percent blocked,” his wife, Charlene, says.
She couldn’t hold her tears inside during dinner that evening. Dennis put his fork down, looked his wife in the eyes, and said, “Charlene, God is going to give me exactly what’s best for me.”
Those words greatly comforted Charlene. To hear of her husband’s confidence in God helped strengthen her own faith. “He didn’t tell me that he had heard from God, that he would make it through surgery, and that God was going to heal him,” Charlene says. “But what he did tell me was that God was in charge.”
“As I prayed about the situation,” Dennis says, “God clearly revealed to me that He was in control, and that I would be okay either way. So, I was confident in what He had told me.”
The couple had been married for thirty-three years when Dennis went into the four-hour surgery. “Seeing and hearing his God confidence as he was wheeled into the operating room gave me the confidence that God would take care of us,” Charlene says.
“I realize that there’s a deeper level of confidence that comes when we release the care of our future into the hands of our Creator. Of course, oftentimes in situations like this, God chooses to take us home to be with Him. We must be okay with His will—whether it means continued life on earth or life in heaven.”
The surgery was successful, and Dennis continues to schedule regular checkups. He also keeps trusting and living the words of Hebrews 11:1-3.
Pray
Lord, I want my faith to deepen. Help me to trust You more. Help me to pray. Amen.