Smile, Great is the Lord's Faithfulness!

It was April 29 when I felt awkward that it seems half of my face was not responding properly.

The left part of my lips and cheeks were twitching. I then found out that it was Bell's Palsy after a Medical Checkup.

Fears and worries started to come upon me; "what if I would not recover from it at all?"

I sought the Lord, and asked my family and friends as well to pray for me.

I am very thankful to the Lord for giving me a very supportive girlfriend who accompanied and encouraged me all throughout the checkups and tests, and for a very supportive family and Church family who has been praying for me.

True Healing is From the Lord

You know what the Lord has taught me all throughout this sickness? True healing is from the Lord. By His grace, as He was healing me physically, God was strengthening my faith in Him in the process.

 I regularly look on myself on the mirror during the first three to six days, and there were no significant improvement. This caused me to worry again.

I was then reminded of the story when Peter was sinking after looking onto the giant waves caused by strong wind.

And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:28-33)

"Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?'”, this has spoken to me loudly during this time.

While I was busy worrying and doubting, God was busy in working in me and for me as He strengthen my faith in Him through His promises on His Word.

It was as if God was saying to me at that time, "Why are you doubting? Don't you know that you can give me all of your fears, worries, doubts, frustrations, disappointments, and unhealthy emotional baggage, and ask me to take them away and replace them with more faith in Me?"

"I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears." (Psalm 34:4)

Taste and See that the Lord is Good

I could say that I was first healed spiritually, before I first felt the physical healing. After my 7-day steroid medication, I stopped looking on the mirror looking for improvements, and started looking on to the faithfulness and goodness of the Lord once again.

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!" (Psalm 34:8)

It was after 11 days that the MRI results and the EMG-NCV (to test the nerve electrical functions and muscle strength) results were given back to the Doctor to see if there have been improvement after all. The Doctor congratulated me and said that favorable recovery is expected.

It was by the Lord's marvelous grace through Jesus Christ that I was healed and now am recovering from Bell's Palsy!

But above the physical healing, I praise the Lord all the more for healing my doubting and worrying heart and strengthening my faith!

Visible Reminder of God's Faithfulness

I posted on the wall of my room one of the results of the MRI of my brain.

I posted on top of it a printed copy of Psalm 34.

It has been two weeks already since I was diagnosed with Bell's Palsy, and I would like to declare how good the Lord is because I have a big smile once again (literally)!

Every time I see that MRI result I was always being reminded of how big our God is, and of His faithfulness and goodness.

This brings back to memory of the story of David when the Lord has delivered him from Goliath.

"This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand... and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand.

And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent." (1 Samuel 17:46a, 47, 54)

David kept a visible reminder that the Lord was bigger than the giant enemy, and it was God who was able to deliver him from that gigantic problem.

Indeed, the battle is the Lord's. Great is His faithfulness!

Give your fears and doubts to Jesus Christ, ask Him to take these and replace it with more faith in Him.

As you seek the Lord, He answers and delivers you from all your fears.