Unfortunately, David backslid. He became an
alcoholic, and he joined the armed forces to fight in Europe during World
War II.
David returned to the Lord in 1946 and was freed
from alcohol, thanks to God; and after the war, he began preaching. He would
then hear our Heavenly Father speak to him: "Get up from here and go into
every city, heal the sick therein and preach the kingdom of Heaven is at
hand."
David resigned as a pastor and began a healing
ministry. In one single service, 33 people were healed of paralysis or of
other crippling conditions.
David continued doing revivals meetings. He
travelled to India, Africa, and Central America and South America. He even
founded the "Voice of Healing" broadcast and started a magazine with more
than 140,000 readers. He also gave generously to missions, and every year
saw him giving more and more money to the poor.
In 1949, while David was preaching in a church in
Dallas, he met a girl who suffered from facial paralysis. Her name was
Carolyn May, and she came forward for healing. When he prayed for her,
however, nothing happened. All he could do was to suggest that she return
the next Friday night.
David was still new to the healing ministry, and
he couldn't understand why the girl was not healed. He fasted and prayed
until he returned to this church the following Friday evening. Once again he
laid hands on Carolyn, but again, nothing happened. He prayed again and
again, but still nothing. How embarrassing! Was he supposed to be in a
healing ministry?
The following Wednesday, as Carolyn was playing
outside, she was able to close her eyes. She hurried to see her dad and
said: "Look Dad, see what Jesus has done for me." Her mother called David
and told him what had happened.
The paralysis was not completely healed, however,
and David asked the family to come again on Sunday and that the paralysis
would be healed at that time. Sure enough, the next Sunday, Carolyn was
completely healed.
David learned that day that healing may not always
come immediately. Jesus had a similar situation when healing a blind man.
Jesus prayed for the man twice before he was healed: "They came to
Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch
him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When
he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, 'Do you
see anything?' He looked up and said, 'I see people; they look like trees
walking around.' Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his
eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly."
(Mark 8:23-25 NIV)
It is interesting to note that Jesus was teaching
his disciples at the time the poor blind man came for healing. Just before
this, His disciples had witnessed the miracle of the feeding of the 4000, as
recorded in Mark 8:1-10, and Jesus had warned His disciples about the yeast
of the Pharisees. Unfortunately, the disciples thought He was talking about
bread. Just before Jesus began healing the blind man, He is recorded as
saying, "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod." (Mark
8:15 NIV). Jesus then went on to heal the blind man in two steps in order to
show His disciples that they were blind, even more blind than the one He
healed!
Jesus always heals. And He uses people to bring
His healing to the world. When He does this, He is showing that he loves us.
At times, however, humans don't succeed in healing. It is important that we
trust our Heavenly Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit at all times, for when
we don't, healing will not happen.
Do you trust our Heavenly Father?
Rob Chaffart