And without being weakened in faith he considered his own body now as good as dead (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet, looking unto the promise of God, he wavered not through unbelief, but waxed strong through faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured (persuaded) that what he had promised, he was able also to perform. Romans 4:19-21 ASV
— Romans 4:19-21 (ASV)
My second husband was diagnosed with Myasthenia gravis, which causes extreme muscle weakness. There is no natural cure for it, only medication to help deal with it. He was a super handy man who could build or fix anything. But now he could barely hold a hammer. However, he had been asked to build a prayer house on a friend’s property in the country. He refused to let go of that dream and saw himself building it. Instead of focusing on his debilitating body, he would drive to the site, get on his hands and knees and put the hammer in his right hand. Then with his other hand, he lifted the right hand up and hammered the stakes in the ground. He did this everyday for weeks even though the progress was slow at first.
After a few months, he began having sudden weak spells so he read about the medication. It said if you start having weak spells, you are taking too much. He began to decrease his medication because he felt stronger without it. At first, the doctor was not pleased, yet was amazed at his strength increase. My husband was fully persuaded that he was able to build that building. It was like a decree from the LORD. He was not moved by what his body was saying, but by what he felt in his heart and his heart was fully persuaded. The doctor finally dismissed him and could give no explanation as to his healing.
One of the ways we persuade our heart is to know and trust the one telling us something. That is why we have been reading about and meditating on the names of God, to learn His character. (If you missed November and December’s devotionals, please go back and read them.) When we begin to believe in our heart that God wants to . . . provide for us because He says He is our Provider, lead and protect us because He is our Shepherd, make us righteous through Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, we are learning who He is. By pondering on His names, we are putting evidence in our heart that He is good.
My husband could have blamed God and regretted that he couldn’t do the job he was given to do. Instead, he looked at the end result. He knew in his heart that he would complete the job. He did not beg.
Knowing God, not just intellectually, but intimately is the beginning of gathering evidence on His side. God is Good and He wants your heart, not just your mind, to be fully persuaded that He is for you – always – and never against you.
Give more thought and time to who He is than you give to your problem.
“Gather evidence to establish the beliefs of your heart.”
Evidence Persuades The Heart