 |
His Will, Not Ours
- By Gilda Orlandi -
God reminds us frequently that, in reality, things do not "depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy" (Rom. 9:16). This thought keeps us humble before the Lord.
Paul said in his letter to the Ephesians: "For it is by faith you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." (Eph. 2:8, 9).
God does what He wants with us, in us and through us. He uses us as instruments to bless others, in spite of our limitations and weaknesses, and reminds us constantly that "...we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." (2 Cor. 4:7).
In fact, we are nothing without God. To Him and only to Him belongs all glory and praise. When we maintain this sincere attitude in front of Him, He glorifies himself even more.
Once, one of my friends in Humacao fractured one of her toes. I had just met Jesus and still didn't know much about the Word of God. My friend said to me: "Gilda, pray for the healing of my toe." Her request surprised me. I didn't know what to do. I realized I didn't have that much faith, but I could not let her down. She did believe God would heal her.
I swallowed, took a deep breath, bent down and I put my hand over her fractured toe. I prayed with all my heart, "Lord, my faith is very small. Actually, I don't have faith in my faith, but I know that over my little faith, you are a great God. My faith is not enough, but your power is greater than my little faith. I ask you to please heal my friend's toe. "
When I was saying these words, tears ran down my cheeks, and I felt the presence of God in my life. I felt the power of God flowing through my hand, and right away, the toe was healed. I clearly understood at that moment that what we need is not to have a big faith, but to use the faith we have, even if it is small. What we need is a sincere faith, no matter how small it might be, in the power of a great God.
In a way, I was like the father of a very ill boy, who came to Jesus for help. That man told Jesus: "...If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us. ‘If you can?', said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for him who believes.' Immediately, the boy's father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!'" (Mark 9:22-24). His son was healed at that moment.
In the case of my friend with the fractured toe, I kept my eyes fixed on Jesus, "the author and perfecter of our faith" (Heb. 12:2), and He made the miracle. The humbleness and sincerity in the way I talked to God, the compassion that I felt for my friend, and a small faith put to work, touched the heart of God, and the Lord glorified himself. The Lord never despises a contrite and humble heart.(Psalm 51:17)
One day, during my break time at the Metropolitan University in Río Piedras, the Lord stirred me to go to a cafeteria I didn't visit frequently. I bought a hot chocolate and sat at one of the tables. At the table directly in front of me, there was a student who looked very familiar, who didn't take her eyes off me. The young woman stood up and came to me.
"Professor, don't you remember me?" she asked.
Then I remembered! Her name was Rosa. She had been one of my students five years earlier, but she had gained some pounds and had changed her hair style. She told me she had to stop studying for a while, and had just begun again.
She had been suffering from strong attacks of epilepsy for several years. The attacks had been increasing in frequency and intensity. She explained to me that the attacks were caused by a cerebral tumor which had to be operated on. In tears, she confessed to me that she was afraid, because the following week she would have to go through the last analysis before leaving immediately for Boston, where the operation would take place.
Then, I understood why the Lord had moved me to that cafeteria. I began to speak to her about the Lord, to tell her not to fear, but to trust God, who was powerful enough to make the tumor disappear. I asked her address, because I thought of visiting her on the weekend, to pray for her before her trip, and I left.
During the weekend everything got complicated. I had to preach at a meeting of the Full Gospel Business Women Fellowship which lasted longer than I expected, and I couldn't go to visit Rosa. It made me very sad. In my car, while I was driving, I began to cry and to pray for her. I prayed, "Lord, you know that I wanted to go to Rosa's house to pray for her. I am not going to be able to go, but I am not the one that has to go. It is you. I ask you, Father, to go and visit her now, and in the name of Jesus, dissolve that tumor. You can do it. Please, do it in the name of Jesus. Amen."
I could hardly see the highway through my tears. I felt a great compassion for Rosa. It was the love of God flowing, and the Holy Spirit urging me to intercede for her. The presence of God filled me. When I finishing praying, I felt a great peace in my spirit. I knew that God had listened to me.
The day came for Rosa had to go to Boston. I assumed she was already on the airplane. I was looking for a fellow teacher at the University, but suddenly, the Lord changed my steps and guided me toward another building. I had nothing I had to do there, but the Lord moved me to continue in that direction. When I reached the main hall, the door of one of the classrooms opened suddenly, and Rosa came out of it! She nearly ran me over. I don't know who was more was surprised.
"What are you doing here?" I asked her. "Weren't you supposed to go to Boston?"
She answered with a wide smile, full of enthusiasm and emotion, "I don't know what you did. I don't know if you prayed for me or what, but when I went to the doctor with the results of the last analysis, she told me the tumor had disappeared! She couldn't believe it! The tumor had been there for seven years, and it disappeared suddenly. I know it was the Lord."
We began to thank God and to glorify His name, there in the hall, while teachers and students continued on their way during the change of classes.
The Lord had done a wonderful work in the life of Rosa, removing in a moment the tumor that had caused her to be ill for so many years.
I had not been able to go to Rosa's house to pray for her, but the Lord listened to my prayer said from a distance, and from a distance performed the miracle.
From the book "OUR DAILY GOD... and His Everyday Miracles", by Gilda Orlandi, originally published in Spanish.
The book is now available in English in 3 1/2" diskette format. Go here for more information about it.
