Bible Passages

13 Why do you complain against Him that He does not give an account of all His doings? 14 Indeed God speaks once, or twice, yet no one notices it. 15 In a dream, a vision of the night, when sound sleep falls on men, while they slumber in their beds, 16 Then He opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction, 17 That He may turn man aside from his conduct, and keep man from pride; 18 He keeps back his soul from the pit, and his life from passing over into Sheol.

Job 33:13-18 (NASB1995)

“I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”

John 16:33 (NABRE)

Devotion

I have a friend who is a struggling Vietnam veteran. He hasn’t had a good night’s sleep since he arrived in Vietnam. He was wounded, and pain flares up at times. He has also been a widower for only a few years. He misses his wife every day. He suffers inwardly much more than he lets on outwardly. He has told me several times that he lives in hell.

An ordained minister, he left the church after an incident in Vietnam. Fortunately, he never left his relationship with God. He is still very religious, and prays often. This has saved his life many times as he faces life’s difficulties.

Now retired, he makes and sells birdhouses, just to have something to occupy his mind and body. He does other woodworking projects from time to time, too. He makes beautiful furniture and decorative pieces. He is very creative and talented.

One day, he acquired a burled piece of wood he really liked, but had trouble figuring out what to make out of it. After it sat on a shelf several weeks, staring at him and begging him to make something with it, he asked God for help. That very night, he actually had a dream about it. God showed him exactly what he needed to do with that piece of wood.

With the help of an artist friend who painted the backdrop, he created the crucifixion scene pictured here. He added the crosses, but had trouble figuring out how to do the blood on Jesus’ cross. God whispered in his ear. Obedient, he grabbed a nail and pierced his own finger. He used his own blood as paint, letting it drip on the four places it was needed. He added the landscaping features and sealant. It looked just like the one in his dream.

He then brought it to his shop and put it on a display shelf. A couple of people asked him about it, but he could not part with it. A few days later, he decided to bring it home. He put it on a table in his living room, next to a scented lamp. He’d enjoy it when he passed by, but he didn’t really think much more about it than that.

Last night, he decided to light the lamp sitting next to it. Later, he left the room and turned the light off, forgetting to turn off the lamp. When he came back in the room, the cross grabbed his heart. Out loud, he exclaimed, “Whoa!” He got so excited, he took these pictures and sent them to me. Then he called. He just had to share the profound effect this had on him!

He actually got over 8 hours of sleep last night! A peaceful night’s sleep.

I believe God is using this to help him heal. By giving him a vision and a direction, God instilled in him an immediate love for that piece. Working on it gave him a new sense of purpose. His heart would not let him part with it. Now, having fully realized what he created, he is filled with a new sense of awe and wonder at God’s plan for his healing.

I believe he’s going to be okay. It will take time, but he’s on the road to recovery. Obedience to God is vital to healing. Because he listened, he was rewarded with a new peace, which is beginning to settle in his soul.

Prayer Focus

War veterans

Prayer

Gracious God our Father, thank you for being there during our darkest moments, holding us tight and seeing us through to the dawn of a new day. Amen.

Final Thought

You will be amazed at what God can do when you obey.