I always have my magnifying glass close at-hand. A proud member of the Faith Bureau of Investigation. That is to say the presence of faith prompts investigation of the world around me to see what God is up to. I know God wants to move – to heal, to restore, to save everywhere. And from time immemorial, He invited me to be a part. 

On page 41 of T.L. Osborne’s book, “Healing the Sick” it reads,

God never tells us to do something that we cannot do. 

Obtaining the fulfillment of His promise is more a matter of obedience than of conscious faith. Faith is doing what God tells us to do, then expecting God to do what He tells us He will do.

Noah built the ark  – God flooded the earth.

Moses stretched out the rod – God parted the waters. 

Joshua marched around the walls of Jericho – God pushed them down.

Elijah smote the waters – God parted them.

Elisha threw the stick in the river – God made the iron to swim.

Naaman dipped seven times – God healed the leprosy. 

Jesus said it is the believer who may lay hands on the sick. It is God who will make them well.

James said that the believers may anoint any sick with oil, and pray the prayer of faith on their behalf. He says it is the Lord who shall raise up the sick. 

God says, “You do a small thing; I will do a large thing. You do a foolish thing; I will do a wise thing. You do something that only a human being can do; I will do something that only I, God, can do.”

Do what God tells you to do, then expect God to do what He said He would do. That is faith. 

AMEN! 

haha! And so, it was that I found myself in Lefkara, Cyprus holding my spiritual magnifying glass inside a lace store. (The city is known for lace-making.) There was a replica of a postage stamp in the window that drew me in. It mentioned Leonardo Da Vinci visiting Lefkara. I went in to ask what this referred to, but already that mysterious pull of the Holy Spirit was upon me. The man explained how a pattern of lace from Lefkara was, in fact, seen in the famous painting, “The Last Supper” and how Leonardo had visited Lefkara hundreds of years ago and then used their lace pattern in the “Last Supper” tablecloth – which he then pointed out in “The Last Supper” they had sitting on a shelf. 

And I saw it – not only the hard-to-detect pattern on the lace, but the skin-tone elastic brace on the man’s wrist. “What is your name?” I asked. Dem________s, but people just call me ‘Demos'” he said. “Demos, What happened to your wrist?” I queried. “Oh, I hurt it years ago… and it still hurts when I move it” – sleepy resignation covered his words. “Well, I’ve seen God heal a lot of people – just last week he healed the cracked fingers of the woman next to me on the plane.” “Yeah?!” he was stunned and silent – as if I’d shoved 10 marshmallows in his mouth in a sudden desire to play the famous youth group game, “Chubby Bunny.” “Could I pray for you?” I asked. “Um, uh, well, yeah, I guess…” he replied, nervously scanning the store. 

So, Andrea, who was nearest Demos, prayed. She didn’t even touch him (I think years living in the Middle East have trained us not to touch men. : ) ) and then I asked him “how does it feel?” He moved it – gingerly at first, and then, dumbstruck, he swivelled his wrist like an owl would swivel its head. His face was frozen. Then really GLAD. “I don’t feel any pain! Really! it always hurts when I move it… and it doesn’t hurt at all. Really. Whoa.” haha! I laughed. Dilgesh burst out, “yeah! I was Muslim and now I’m Christian and Jesus healed my stomach!” “Really? what?!” Demos was clearly utterly astounded and unable to process any more of our words. So, with that we turned, and I said, “enjoy your new wrist!” And we bid farewell to Demos and his wiggling wrist. 

As we laffy-taffy, loose-limbs ourselves, bounced our way out of the shop we began to pray that God would make Demos like the Samaritan Woman was for her city – that he would lead the whole city to Jesus, the Living Water. The three of us were quilting our prayers together with joy and victory, when something caught my peripheral vision: in the back of a large store was an open courtyard with a stone well! haha! I pulled my drippy, happy, drunk in the Spirit self into the store, staring at the well. I asked the storekeeper, “can I go back there?” “Yes. sure.” And back we went. 

As we stood around the well, he explained it had been closed for some time because of concern of kids falling in. And I couldn’t help but notice the closed well was surrounded by CACTI – plants that don’t need water. huh. I also couldn’t help but think the church there also closed up The Well, for fear of its “danger” and then attempted to content themselves with becoming plants that don’t “need” water. How sad to give up luscious plant life for a garden of poky cacti (not that cacti aren’t lovely to look at, but next to a well?). 

With that revelation in our own spiritual buckets, we prayed for the Lord to uncap the well in Lefkara! Yahooo! Let nothing but Living Water satisfy! May Demos’ wrist testify to the power of Living Water! 

<Wells, OPEN in Jesus’ name!>

Beautiful. I love the leading of the Lord. And YES, His words are true.

“They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:18)

 

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! FULL RECOVERY for Lefkara, JESUS! May she walk upright and whole into her destiny!