God Revealed Through Sickness

Romans 14:8 (NIV)

If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

Tarin, who had already planted a church among the Kimyal people of the eastern highlands, now felt God's call to venture into a new area, far to the south of Sumo in the lowlands, where the Dekai people lived. After taking a furlough among his own people in the Toll Valley, he set out, going first without his family and with another Dani missionary, Nggiwunggen. The men made a potato garden to ensure having food when their families came. After they had stayed a few months attempting to learn the difficult language, they returned in January 1981 for Tarin's wife and three younger children. The oldest three stayed behind to attend school.

Soon after the family's arrival in the lowlands, four-year-old Bayita fell on a slippery log, injuring her head and back on a fallen tree. The following day she died. The heartbroken parents prayed, "Our Father, we have not come to this area for our own good but because You called us here. You must be in control of the situation. We will trust You:" They buried their child right there and worked to open up the difficult area.

Then Tarin's wife Yabok and a son, Wayon, began to have trouble with their feet swelling so badly they could not walk. "It is the dreaded filariases. You will certainly die of this," the people gloomily predicted.

"Tarin, I want to go to the doctor," Yabok pleaded. But they were in an isolated area, and the landing strip was not yet ready.

"My wife, perhaps we should not go immediately to the doctor. Let us first pray to the Lord and ask Him to heal you and our son. Because the people here cannot go to the doctor every time they are sick, we must show them that we have a doctor in the Lord Himself-that He can heal our sicknesses.

"Lord, we have come here to serve You. We have lost one child, and now two of us are sick. We know You can heal and strengthen, and we commit ourselves to You. We believe it is the enemy who is causing this sickness. He does not want us bringing the Word of God to these Dekai people. We take a stand against the enemy. And we ask You to heal the feet of Yabok and Wayon."

In a short time, both were up and walking again. As a result, their faith was strengthened, and they rejoiced that the Lord had called them to this place. "Even though we have lost our daughter, it is a privilege to pioneer this new area for Jesus Christ." They praised God through their tears.

The people had been watching to see how Tarin's family would react to the death of their child. Now as they saw how the Lord healed the feet of Tarin's wife and son, they admitted, "Some of our people have had this same problem, but they died. Your God has healed in answer to your prayers!" They exclaimed.

"Tarin and Yabok, you said you had come to bring us good news, and we can see that it is good news to have a God who is so powerful in the face of the diseases and troubles you have been passing through."

Tarin thought about that. He didn't want them turning to God just to save themselves from trouble. He taught them, "If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord" (Romans 14:8). The people listened intently, knowing that Tarin was talking from his heart out of the depths of his own experience. This made a great impression on them, and many responded. "Tarin, in the past we have thought just of ourselves and not of the Lord. Now you have shown us that we belong to God regardless of what comes into our lives. We want you to stay with us and teach us more words from God."

Dear Lord we pray that we would show Your love to those around so that they will want to become part of your family. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Storms of Life Cannot Overcome His Power or Love

Matthew 14:29-30 (New International Version)



Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"






Below is a story as told by a young man.

Some of my earliest memories are of visiting Doctor Wilson's surgery in Springburn, Glasgow, where I grew up. The outside window had a plain sign depicting the surgery hours, with two tall glass bottles (one red, the other blue) at either side. When one walked into the surgery, the air was full of antiseptic smells, which added a sense of mystery to the whole place.


The waiting room was square, with benches all around the oak-panelled walls. As one entered, the first question one had to ask was, "Who's last?" You knew then that it would be your turn to enter the doctor's office directly after whoever answered. There was no need for tickets or appointments; one just appeared and waited for one's turn to be seen.


Doctor Wilson was ancient. He had a gentle round face, with steel-rimmed glasses propped at the end of his nose. He had one of the best smiles I can ever remember, and he made each of his patients feel very special. He sat next to an old writing bureau, where he wrote out all his prescriptions using a steel-nibbed pen, with ink from a bottle.


On the wall above his desk were an eye chart and an old painting depicting a biblical scene. There was a boat with fishermen on it, dark clouds in the sky, and fierce waves all around them. A man looked as though he was panicking in the waves, and he was desperately reaching up to another man, who was standing serenely above the waves. It was, of course, Peter and Jesus, but what was that picture doing in my doctor's office?


Years later, I realized that the picture was a symbol of the great work Doctor Wilson did in our community. He was there to help men, women, and children who were overwhelmed with sickness and disease, cancer and suffering. As the years sped by and my mother's debilitating sickness took away her health and sanity, Doctor Wilson was always there for us, ensuring that my dad and all our family did not sink into the waters of despair and depression, and that the storms of insanity and schizophrenia did not overwhelm us.


No matter what we go through today, Christ will be there for us, lifting us up and helping us out. The storms of this life cannot overcome His power or love. When we are sinking and we need Him, Christ will be there to offer us His hand.






Dear Lord, We pray that you will be with us today. We pray that if we experience pressure, stress, or fear we will reach out and take a hold of Your hand. In Jesus’ name Amen.