So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;

It will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire,

and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. 

Isaiah 55:11

So it had come to this – me standing in the surgeon’s office looking at x-rays of my shoulder.   My left shoulder had been in constant pain for months.  My left arm was useless because of the pain.  I couldn’t lift anything; I could barely move my arm at all.  Just trying to take the covers off of me to get out of bed was extremely painful.  The sharp pain had come on so fast and remained so long and I had seen doctors to no avail and now a surgeon.  I don’t know much about x-rays but even I knew something was wrong.  There were no bones showing in this X-ray.  No shoulder bone, no collar-bone, no arm bone showed at all until closer to my elbow.

I was fascinated by that and only partially listening to the surgeon.  The bones, he said are not showing up because of inflammation and he went on to describe the surgery he was convinced would make me all better.  Something about bone spurs and rotary cuff and lengthening a tendon or was it a ligament?

I wasn’t really listening.  Surgery was not an option – I had no insurance and certainly didn’t have a large enough savings account to cover surgery costs.

Not knowing what else to say, I asked him how I got this way.

He knew my past – that I had lived in Montana and had horses and dairy goats and raised beef and pork for our family.  He knew that meant lifting heavy bales of hay and straw and carrying 80# bags of feed and lifting saddles on and off horses.

He answered, “These kinds of injuries can come on because of overuse.”

As soon as he said those words, I heard the Holy Spirit rise up in me and say, “No, you were not created to fall apart with use.  God restores your youth like the eagle.” (Psalm 103:5).

Then he continued, “And some people are genetically predisposed to these kind of injuries.”

At that the Holy Spirit rose up big in me and almost shouted, “No, you were not genetically predisposed for this.  You were fearfully and wonderfully made.”  (Psalm 139:14).

Inwardly I rejoiced, outwardly I told the surgeon I would get back to him.

I walked out of that office healed.  The pain in my shoulder left as soon as the Holy Spirit gave me those words; the report of the Lord!  That pain has never come back and I never had the surgery.  It has been well over a decade now!

The Holy Spirit has been called our Comforter, He is the one who brings to our remembrance the Word of God that has been deposited in us so that in moments when we can’t think rightly, He is there with just the right words for that moment.  Isn’t that awesome and comforting? God’s Word is the tool He uses and His word goes out with the power to accomplish exactly what He sent it for!

Thank You for healing me. Thank You Father for the gift of the Holy Spirit, our resident Counselor.  Thank You that Your words have power, power to heal and power to mend.  Help me to remember that the report of my Lord is always greater than the report of the doctors.  Help me to remember that Your word trumps every other word out there. In Jesus’s name, amen.

pic credit: Women of God