Refreshing Ourselves In Hope
July 31, 2025
Scripture Of The Day
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:5
By Cheryl Henderson (Excerpts from Ken Koontz)
It’s been a tough season for most of us. I know I have had my share of challenges. Some of these difficulties are pretty much expected, like growing older and lamenting that we are somewhat incapacitated with health-related issues that make it difficult to continue to function at the same level of energy and effectiveness that I am used to having. Then there is the inevitable sadness and sense of loss when your dearest friend and precious loved ones die. None of us has been unscathed by the loss of someone close to us, especially since COVID-19’s debut.
When the many enemies of my soul draw close around me, I am reminded of the wondrous ways that God has delivered me. Even in the most impossible situations, I force my soul to focus on God's promises. I often review and recount the things that God has done in my life. The testimony of God’s love and deliverance sustains my soul and encourages me to press onward.
One of the wonders of God’s goodness happened when our son, Joshua, was born. Josh was a child of promise to us. Many wonderful prophetic words were spoken over him even before He was born. They said that he would be healthy, strong, and fruitful. They spoke of his fatherhood and that he would have many children. Such prophetic promises were sorely challenged when Joshua was born with cystic fibrosis. We knew something was wrong with his breathing a few weeks after we took him home from the hospital. At 6 weeks old, he had lost weight and was physically in a crisis. After being in the hospital with him for several days getting breathing treatments, the doctor came to me saying that they had their diagnosis. Joshua had cystic fibrosis and was dying! He sadly told me that there was nothing they could do for him but transfer him to the Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Our hearts were broken. I left Kay with our baby and went home to tend to our oldest child. When I arrived home, I received a call from some well-meaning friends who told me that Joshua was dying because I had made some wrong decisions for our church. Suddenly, I was galvanized into a response to that accusation. I knew that I had been silently accusing God and blaming him for all the trouble that we were experiencing. God blessed me with a holy conviction that I had been acting toward Him as if he were some cruel overlord to be feared. I had been thinking that God would take away our son because I had done something that He did not like.
In my conviction, I cried out to God and asked His forgiveness for thinking that He was like a selfish, punitive man who would not remember His promises. I cried out for a long time, and God cleansed me by the Holy Spirit. Suddenly, I began to shake and tremble in the presence of the Father. I asked the Lord, “What is this feeling?” He told me to go immediately to the hospital and pray for Joshua. I did and arrived with a bottle of olive oil in one hand and my Bible in the other.
When I entered the room, I knew that something had happened in the heavenlies. Although the sickness was the same, I was changed. I got down on my knees and prayed a simple prayer of faith. I knew at that moment that Joshua had been healed. That was 42 years ago. Joshua today remains healed and healthy with no signs of CF. He is also the fruitful man that the Lord had prophesied. He is married to a wonderful woman, and they have 6 beautiful children who all love the Lord. When darkness comes and tries to rob me of what God has promised for these days, I try to remember these testimonies of His goodness. Refreshing Ourselves in Hope