I owe it to my Lord to give praise to His holy Name by sharing my testimony of how our God, who is rich in mercy, made a way for me to be healed. I know He didn't only heal me for my own benefit, but also for the benefit of everyone that He knows needs to hear our testimonies. Hearing and seeing the Word being manifested gives us courage in our walk for Christ. I trust mine will be of help to someone in some way.
Stress was the tool Satan used to keep me from being able to have faith in what God had promised. I've had it since I can remember. Throughout the years it surfaced in various ways, it was mostly without reason and it got worse with age.
For example, I can remember when I was very young, about nine or ten years old, I would stress so much that my mom might forget (after I had already reminded her a few times) to come fetch me after school; not that she ever has or ever would! As I got older I was the type that would keep checking the same locks, always making sure there were no peepholes in the curtains, scared of the dark of course, scared every time my parents would get in a car – I wanted to go with them, should anything happen so I'm not left behind alone. Sometimes it took its toll on my health also. I always feared the worst.
When my parents got into the Message, I was in high school. I knew the truth and wanted be on the right path. I started to live a cleaner life, but at that stage I found it too hard, not necessarily to leave everything, but rather everyone. This time I had reason to be stressed. I remember praying and begging that the Lord would spare my life until I finished school, that I might have a chance to follow Him completely. How sorry I am, how I wish I could have those wasted years back to spend it with Him!
After school my stress levels doubled as the workplace turned into my testing grounds. It was only when something went wrong with my health and healing from God was my only hope, that I recognized my stress levels as abnormal and a huge problem. I needed faith to accept my healing of both the stress and the health issue, but how could I have faith when the very thing I needed to overcome was causing me to always fear the worst? Having faith seemed impossible in my situation, and therefore I stressed more than ever. Words cannot express how helpless I felt, but somehow I knew He wanted the best for me. I knew I was His child and I knew my Father would make a way for me.
Desperation set in and I spent so much more time with Him than I used to. It reminded me of a quote from Brother Branham about a shepherd who was carrying a sheep with a bandaged leg. When asked what had happened to its leg, the shepherd's reply was that he broke it. When asked why, his answer was that the sheep kept running off and didn't mind him, so he had to break it to get the sheep closer to him, then care for it and make it dependent on him; make it love him more. Sadly we really are so slothful that a state of desperation is often necessary to make us dependent on Him, ultimately bringing us closer to Him.
I listened to a sermon called: “God Who Is Rich In Mercy.” I can hardly remember anything through all the crying, but by the end of it, stress had left me! Something I had my entire life, that seemed impossible to get rid of, left me in a second! It honestly feels as if a mountain has been lifted from my shoulders! Everything feels new to me. I feel free.
In my darkest hour, Jesus came on the scene. To Him nothing is impossible. He makes a way for His children, because He is rich in mercy! And then after the victory, we see that everything worked together for good.
As for the healing of my body, it's taking a bit longer, but I have accepted it and as sure as anything, God will prove His word.
God Bless you all.
Love,
Your sister in Christ from South Africa.