I'm reminded of a testimony of healing I heard years ago that I often think about. A woman had gone to the doctor and was told that she had a growth in her breast, so they set up another appointment for further tests. At her next appointment, they did an ultrasound on her. With the ultrasound equipment, the doctor was able to display an image of the lump in her breast on a screen. As he did, he turned the screen toward the woman so she could see the lump.
He pointed to the screen as he explained to the woman what they were seeing. When she saw the lump pictured on the screen, she spoke quietly in her heart to the Lord. “Oh Lord, if only I hadn’t seen it. Seeing it makes it more real.”
The Lord spoke back to her, “Is what you see greater than what I say?”
How that question checked her! She caught herself, realizing her wrong thinking. “No, Lord,” she answered, “what I see is not greater than what You say.”
Then she reminded herself of what He had already said in His Word. Quietly to herself, she rehearsed His Word. “Your Word says that ‘Himself took my infirmities and bare my sicknesses.’ Your Word says that ‘by Jesus’ stripes I was healed.’ ” As she lay on that examination bed, she quietly refocused her attention on the Word instead of on the screen.
As she lay there, continuing to put her attention on God’s Word and worshipping Him for it, suddenly a wide, bright circle of light appeared on the screen. Everyone in the room saw it. Slowly that bright circle of light began to close in and grow smaller and smaller around that lump. As the circle of light grew smaller, it completely encased the lump, and when it did, the circle of light disappeared, and then the lump was also gone off the screen! The lump had dissolved, and she was completely healed!
That miracle happened for the woman because she redirected her attention away from what she was seeing and toward what God said. The Word was greater than what she saw, and when she focused on the Word that was greater, what she saw changed.
How often we are surrounded by circumstances that are so visible, hear things that are so audible, or feel things that are so tangible. Yet, we must always remember that what God says is greater than anything we may see, feel, or hear.
Don’t believe anything more than you believe the Word!
Just because circumstances may be so loud or so tangible, that doesn’t change the truth of God’s Word! His Word is greater!
As Christians, we live by words — God’s words! Those around us are living by what they feel, see, and hear, but not us! We live by words! Since God said it, that’s what we hold to, regardless of all we may feel, see, and hear. Living by what God says gives us the best life. It’s such a joy to know that we aren’t destined and doomed to live by circumstances that are constantly changing, but we get the privilege of living by what God says, which never changes.
One key to enjoying the kind of life that God authored for us involves our attention. When that woman had her attention on what she saw, she was troubled. But when she turned her attention from what she saw to what God said, she partook of the best flow — the flow of the Word, the flow of healing.
We must practice holding our attention on God’s Word when circumstances are so loud and boastful all around us. We don’t get good at anything without practicing – that goes for spiritual things as well as natural things.
Many think they have faith problems when they really have attention problems. Your faith is connected to your attention. Where your attention goes, your faith goes. Some frantically struggle to get more faith, when they really need to discipline their thought life to hold their attention on the right thing instead of on the wrong thing.
Let’s practice every day on the small things of daily life – holding our attention on God’s Word instead of on changing, shifting circumstances.