Many people often think that God is either for one side of a debate or one belief system, but seldom for both sides. People often confuse their preferences, biases, and beliefs with God’s ability or desire. For instance, people who are in favor of catchy upbeat praise songs may believe God enjoys praise music, rather than old-fashioned hymns. Others who love old-fashioned hymns may think God dislikes new-style praise songs. However, the truth is -- that God enjoys both when the heart of the singer has their focus on God, instead of the style of music they prefer. When we use our preference as what God favors, we often become biased and see things as one-sided. We also risk being in love with preference, style, and fashion, rather than God Himself. This flawed behavior makes people tend to take sides about religions, denominations, and churches. In essence, we believe God is as limited as we are, and that He even likes my church rather than your church.
The Briella Angsomwine Story of Hope - Shedding Light on God's Hope
Our granddaughter Briella Angsomwine also has a limb challenge and has seen God come to her rescue through medical science and prayer. She believes God can gift the same surgeons who helped extend Leo’s two limbs to extend her one limb that needs extending. Briella’s story can be read at BriellasHope.com.
The advancement of limb lengthening surgery has progressed during the past 3-years. What is amazing is that one of the pioneer surgeons behind many of the advancements has admitted that most of these advancements have come through dreams. Once again this testifies that God gives the perfect gifts, and we are in partnership with Him while administrating those gifts through our talents and education.
Child-like faith extends beyond personal bias and beliefs
Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of lights - James 1:17
This false belief often limits our ability to see God’s ability to allow humanity to enjoy and participate in more than one-sided views. In addition to limiting our view, it puts God in a much smaller box, limiting His ability to help us in a greater capacity. This is especially true of people who believe God’s supernatural healing is not for today, or that medical science is not from God. Unfortunately, many people are so fixated on a method of healing that they are limiting all the methods God uses to help people. Better stated, they do not see the completeness or comprehensive nature of a creative and caring God.
Recently, I was blessed to see and validate two methods that God allowed to increase the length of human limbs – both were miracles for the two recipients. In one case, the individual was an 11-year-old boy named Leo Markgraf who had both of his limbs grow by 2.3 centimeters (1 inch) through a new method of orthopedic limb lengthening by world-renowned surgeon Dr. Dror Paley. The other one was a man who attended a Christian-based healing service and instantly had his limb grow by 2 centimeters after being prayed for.
The photos below represent the two people who had this incredible miracle happen. In Leo’s case, he is mature enough to know that God uses medical science to allow his situation to be continually healed over an extended period of time. He knows that God has gifted the surgeons at the Paley Orthopedic and Spine Institute. In the same manner, Leo knows that at times God may instantly grow a limb and the healing is instantaneous. He has child-like faith and doesn’t limit God to only his circumstances or preferences. He rejoices in the healing that the other man had during the healing service.
By recognizing that every good and perfect gift comes from God, who is also referenced as the Father of lights (James 1:17), we can rest assured that the surgeons who are gifted to extend human limbs, perform a new type of brain surgery, or perform any other advancements in medical science -- ultimately is giving God the glory. Both Leo and Briella have enough youth, faith, flexibility, and understanding to realize that God can work His miracles for them through the medical science given to surgeons, and/or through instant healing. They realize through their child-like faith that God receives all the credit, no matter which manner their healing of limb lengthening comes.
Child-like faith in people is much more willing to see the diversity of God's gifts, miracles, and healings than individuals who are trying to limit God to their experience, or belief. I like the t-shirt Briella is seen wearing below, unlimbited. She was wearing this after she witnessed her first miracle of walking through medical science provided by a surgeon.
Looking beyond just limb healings, LambdaVision along with NASA is working on the design and development of artificial eyes on the International Space Station to heal individuals who are blind – the story can be read here. Whether someone receives instant healing through prayer, or the new method of creating artificial eyes on the International Space Station, the recipient is healed, and God receives the glory for these discoveries.
God has ways and means that far exceed our preferences and personal beliefs which are limited by human perspective. I assume this is why Jesus commended those who have child-like faith like Leo and Briella. What if we spend more time seeking and practicing child-like faith rather than our religious beliefs?
