Welcome to The Blessing Corner. In this section of The Remnant, we plan to print testimonies of obedience and the blessings that follow when we choose to walk in God’s ways. If you have a short testimony of blessing that would fit in this corner, we would love to hear from you. Articles like these encourage others to walk in obedience to the word of God. So let us edify one another.
What a joy to read Rose Ann’s story. How many of us first rush to human methods of healing when God says, “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church”. There is a holy exercise found in turning to God and His ways. First comes a time of seeking God’s will; does He want me to ask for an anointing? Then comes a time of examination; why has this come upon me, and is there anything in my life that shouldn’t be there? After this there is a stretching of our faith, because we must believe. And lastly, we find ourselves in a place of resignation, “Lord, Thy will be done.” The principles of God’s word are to be followed, and those who choose to obey find an exciting life with never a dull moment. Praise the Lord for your healing, Rose Ann. Thank-you for turning to the Lord for an answer. We are all inspired to do the same when we are brought to the test.
--The Editors
“In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.” Psalms 31:1-3
About three years ago, all of a sudden, I didn’t feel well anymore. I constantly had a severe, pounding headache, I was itchy all the time, all over—I would itch until my skin bled—and I had a terrible ache in my bones and so of course I was always tired. At first we just dismissed it and thought it would go away soon. When these problems persisted I started taking all kinds of cleansers. At one point I was taking eleven vitamins three times a day. Ugh! Till that was over, the sight of pills almost gagged me!
When, finally after a year, it didn’t get any better; we went to a pediatrician. By this time, I felt so bad that at times I could have sat down and bawled! The pediatrician did many blood tests, but absolutely couldn’t find anything wrong. He dismissed us saying that it was probably just growing pains. By this time, we knew something was definitely wrong. So we went to a specialist in Lancaster, PA. He also was convinced that something was wrong, but he was very puzzled because otherwise I seemed healthy. I wasn’t losing weight or any such thing. After doing extensive tests, he finally found my trouble. I had a genetic disease referred to as ‘The Bile Salt Deficiency’. It’s a disease that they’re just learning about and don’t have any cure for yet. You’re born with it, but sometimes the symptoms don’t appear until you’re older. It has something to do with the liver. Anyway, eventually I would probably need a liver transplant and I would need to be on terribly expensive antibiotics the rest of my life. This time was also a trial emotionally. I was thrown between fear and doubt.
For some time before this, I had been thinking about being anointed with oil as James talks about (James 5:14). Finally I talked to Dad about it and he encouraged me to follow the scriptural command. After a couple of weeks of prayer and seeking the Lord’s will, I was anointed at one of our Wednesday evening prayer meetings. It took faith to believe that God could actually heal me. I would pray, “Lord, help my unbelief!” I claimed God’s promises as my own. As I was being anointed, I didn’t know what the Lord would have for me, but I had a peace and a confidence that God’s will would be accomplished. Within a week after I was anointed, my symptoms were completely gone! I was healed! I felt like a different girl. It took time until I had all my energy back and the antibiotics were all washed out of my system. But eventually I had all my energy back and the side affects from strong antibiotics were gone, too.
We told the specialist, but, since he is not a Christian, he was very skeptical. He wanted to do an ultrasound, because, he said, there would at least be some scar tissue on my liver from damage done before. At first we didn’t know what to do. Wouldn’t this be questioning God, saying, “Am I really healed?” But then we thought, “No! This would only be proof that I was healed.” We truly believed I was healed and we also believed that there would be no scar tissue on my liver. Before we went for the ultrasound, the doctor told us, without a shadow of a doubt, I did have this disease and humanly speaking there is no way that I could have been healed. I can still see the look on his face when he came to us after the ultrasound. He just shook his head and said that my liver was totally clear! He still didn’t admit that I was healed and warned that if any symptoms ever appear again we’re to let him know immediately. I know without a shadow of a doubt that the Lord healed me and I give Him all the praise.
It wasn’t fun to go through this, but now I praise the Lord for it. It’s such a faith booster when I get a little down.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose.”
Rose Ann Lapp
RR 1 Box 971
Petersburg, PA 16669
(814) 667-2399
