After my husband’s two spinal surgeries, the neurosurgeon told us the pinched nerve in his left leg would not repair itself. He would need to use a cane to walk, or he would fall.
This diagnosis was difficult for Bill. He was embarrassed to use the cane in public. After all, he was only in his forties. Previously, he was athletic and played baseball on church teams and basketball with his sons. But going forward, he used the cane for assistance. He couldn’t quite do it on his own.
I copied Scriptures on the blank pages in my Bible between the Old and New Testaments to encourage me during these difficult times. I read them repeatedly, claiming God’s promises. During this time, I also had two major surgeries, but I continued to draw strength from God’s Word.
Bill and I attended Bible classes taught by Dr. Halton Starr. He said the Bible is “organic and alive.” I knew the Bible was inspired, but the words organic and alive gave me a new view of God’s Word. It reminded me of the verse in Hebrews that says the Bible is “living and active.”
When Bill and I wondered about our future, we leaned heavily on God’s Word. We lost our medical insurance when Bill lost his job, but we trusted God. When I had to look for full-time employment to gain medical insurance, I prayed God’s Word back to Him.
As Bill depended on his cane, we learned to lean on God’s promises—promises that gave us hope and built our faith. If you feel a little unbalanced in your faith walk or need encouragement to be steadier, lean on God’s Word. We can’t do life on our own.
Phyllis Qualls Freeman is a freelance writer with twenty years’ experience and more than four hundred published devotions, magazine articles, and newspaper human-interest pieces. She lives near Chattanooga, Tennessee, and is published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Answered Prayers, and several anthologies. She writes devotions on assignment and enjoys mentoring new writers.