HE LIVES!!!!! PRAISE GOD THE HEALER LIVES!!!!
I have brand new feet to prove it!!!!
About eight years ago, I started having pain in my feet. In the beginning, the pain was tolerable as I only experienced it after standing still for long periods of time. For the last four years the pain has become severe and would last throughout the day whether I was working or not. Being a nurse, there are days when you are on your feet literally 12 hours without so much as a 5 min rest period for your feet. Since the year 2008, I have gotten steroid injections in my feet (the maximum amount of steroid allotted for the year) every year just to be able to walk. It really does nothing for the pain. I simply learned to live with the pain. There are so many long-term ill effects to the steroids that I chose not to take them last year. But, I finally reached the point that I had to get them in August. By the time I finished a shift and drove an hour drive home, I would be unable to get out of my car and walk into the house without the assistance of my husband. Sister Vickie had gone to see a podiatrist whom she recommended highly. Not being comfortable with the seeing the podiatrist I had seen in the past, I decided to see the physician of Sis. Vickie’s recommendation.
To shorten all details of my scheduled appointment, I’ll just say that the doctor obtained x-rays of my feet and gave me devastating news at the first appointment. She showed me (on the x-ray) how the bones and tissue of my feet had started to become abnormal and advised me if I DO NOT changed my job within 5 yrs. I would most likely be in a wheelchair.
In July, the Lord spoke to my heart to give devotions at the next WINGS meeting. As most of you know, this was during the time when my husband was waiting to have back surgery. His surgery was originally scheduled for July 25th but was cancelled and rescheduled due to the physician becoming ill. How many cases have you heard of a surgery being cancelled the morning of due to the physician being sick? GOD has a DEVINE PLAN!!!! During this time, God is already dealing with me about what shoe are you wearing on your feet devotional. Ironically, my feet hurting all the day long! I was sad to have to tell Sis. Vickie that Roger’s surgery had been rescheduled for the very day of the WINGS meeting in August. I knew that I knew God had spoke to me to have the devotional, I just couldn’t understand why it wasn’t to be at MY planned devotional night in August. It was MY plan, not HIS DEVINE PLAN. So, I asked Sis. Vickie if I could have the September meeting. After planning to have the Sept. meeting, God began to deal with me in such a way that I can not begin to pen it.
I had my first appointment for injections with the foot doctor on August 31st , at which time I received three injections. The second appointment was one week later September 7th wherein I received four injections. I was scheduled for another set of injections (the last set for the year) on the 14th. BUT, GOD HAD A DEVINE PLAN. On Sunday September 11th, Bro Brad preached “Don’t Tell Me…Show Me”. God showed me His healing power. He instantly healed my feet!!! The pain left me and I started walking on my new feet. From that moment on, I started to realize what God had been dealing with me about in my foot devotional.
I went back to the foot doctor on that following Wednesday. Her words were “I can’t believe it, these are just like brand new feet”. I started crying and said “YES, they are NEW FEET!” My GOD is REAL…HE LIVES!!!!! I will never be able to thank or praise Him enough for His GRACE.
If interested in the WINGS meeting devotional, you may read it below.
The Lord starting dealing with me about this devotion in July. It's ironic that the Lord have chosen this subject (feet/shoes) during this time of affliction --I praise God that He has given me a miracle of healing. Since Sunday night, I have taken every step with a whole new meaning. I love shoes, but every since I started having a foot problem, I've struggled to find a pretty shoe with just the right amount of comfort I need. Therefore, my selections have been slim. It's kind of like when I grew up -- every year we got a pair of school shoes and a pair of play shoes. As soon as I got home from school, I had to take the school shoes off and put the play shoes on. I tried hard to keep my school shoes clean, without any scuffs/blemishes because you whole appearance can be ruined by dirty, scuffed, and blemished shoes -- you can have on a $500 dress/outfit and then put on dirty, scuffed/blemished shoes and suddenly your entire outfit is dirty, scuffed/blemished.
Shoes are important because our feet are important --our feet take us placed and where we put our feet determines what direction we'll go in --our spiritual feet are as important if not more important; So what we wear on them helps determines how we walk! But the way our steps are ordered will have an impact on us and those we have contact with daily. So, as Christians, we need to be VERY selective in which shoes to wear.
Let's look at the different kinds:
FLATS: flats are without unevenness -- have you found yourself moving along without much life? Do you need to motivate yourself? We all have times when we need to encourage himself. We may not always have our bestie pushing us to stay motivated, so we, like David, must learn to encourage ourselves and pray for restoration of our joy. "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit." Psalm 51:12
LOAFERS: idler, lazy -- are you using your gifts and/or talents for His glory? Maybe you once did, but are not involved anymore. Have you really took a minute to stop and ask yourself what you can be doing for His glory?...teaching a Sunday school class, a bible study class, mentoring a younger Christian, visiting the sick and shut in, etc... We all must be busy in order for the body of our church to be effective. We need each other! "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only" James 1:22. "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ" I Cor 12:12
PUMPS: raised, drive -- Are you an encourage, a comforter? Is it just common place for you to pump people up, exhort/ comfort them? Do you find yourself cheering on those around you? This is one of my favs. I am careful to exhort in the positive. By that, I mean, I'm responsible for the advise and cheering I give to you. Therefore, I'm gonna be sure to advise you according to what God's word says in whatever the subject ed. " Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do." I Thess 5:11.
TENNIS SHOES: -- treat lightly. Do you ever find yourself taking lightly our ability to fully trust God? Do you ever wish you could just run away from your problems instead of turning them over to Him and trusting Him with your wholeness of your life? "Trust in the Lord with all thy heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths": Prov 3:5,6
BOOTS: Have you ever found yourself with the attitude --it's my way or the highway and you catch yourself walking all over people. Often this is to hide our own insecurities. If we become sensitive to the needs of others our insecurities subside. "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Eph. 4:32
WADERS: At times we'll find ourselves just trying to float along, not making any waves. The unfortunate mistake we make is believing that we can just stand still or float along--we can't! We will find ourselves inching backwards when we get into a rut. Our prayer life and Bible reading becomes slim. Then, our church attendance becomes inconsistent. "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men." Col 3:23
SLIP ONS: Some of us slip off and on our Christianity like our slip on shoes. If we don't live for Christ through the week, we can not be the witness that we should be for Him. Do the people you are around really know you are a Christian? "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matt 5:16.
SANDALS: shoe of comfort. Sometimes it is easy to become too comfortable in our Christian lives. What are we doing for Christ? "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Heb 12:1,2
SLIPPERS: Have you ever given thought that you may cause others to slip and stumble? Are you aware of your actions? We have liberty as Christians, but that freedom doesn't allow us to live just anyway we want to. We need to be aware that others are watching us and we need to set a good example!!! "Let us not therefore judge one another anymore: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way." Rom 14:13
WORK SHOES: Hard shoes. Are we doing all we can do? If we are following Him and obeying His Word, we will bear much fruit for Him. " Then said Jesus unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Matt 16:24 "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples." John 15:8
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