The final say!

    Days before Michael’s wedding, he contracted the Covid virus. Doctors had little hope for his recovery and encouraged his fiancée, Melanie, to inform his family about how hopeless his situation was. His oldest son, however, chose not to see it that way. He and many others were at the hospital praying for his father. Unfortunately, things got worse. Michael developed pneumonia and sepsis and even his kidneys started to shut down. The medication just did not seem to be working. While setting him up for dialysis, one of his lungs collapsed. Outside in the parking lot people continued praying. Inside, his youngest son asked God for a miracle. His oldest believed that God has the final say. 
    Within an hour, he no longer needed a ventilator and his kidneys began to improve. He did not need dialysis. On top of that, the sepsis became a thing of the past. Not long after, doctors brought him out of sedation but he was not waking up. Doctors warned the family about raising their hopes up. They feared that the stroke could have long term serious effects on him. However, Melanie told God that although she did not understand, she trusted Him.
    When Michael did finally wake up, his first words were to his fiancée. He told her that she would look beautiful in her wedding dress. He said that because he knew he would see it because God had shown it to Him and he wanted to encourage Melanie. It took months of rehab for him to recover from the effects of the stroke. He, however, made up his mind that he would walk down the aisle to marry his wife…and he did. Thanks to prayer and rehab, Michael has fully recovered.
    There are a number of lessons that can be gleaned from this testimony, but what stands out to me is the comment made by his oldest son. He said God has the final say. Although he acknowledged the doctors’ efforts, he also acknowledged that they don’t always have the final say. This reminds me of a verse God brought to my attention recently from Proverbs 16:33. It says: “We may throw the dice but the Lord determines how they fall.” Simply put, no matter what is done, God is still the One to determine the final outcome. The doctors did everything they could and even came to the conclusions they came to. At the end of the day, however, God determined Michael’s fate.
    For me, this is encouraging because the best of experts can give a discouraging report, but we can trust our discouraging situation to an all-powerful God. Man may say “no” while God may be saying “yes.” I recall the story of Jairus (Mark 5:21-43). While seeking Jesus’ help to heal his dying daughter, she died. It did not even make sense anymore to ask Jesus to still come to his house. Yet, Jesus paid no attention to the words of the messengers who came to give Jairus the news and instead invited Jairus to focus on His own powerful words, “Don’t be afraid, only believe” (v. 36). You see, God still had the final say and when Jairus chose to believe and trust in Him, he was not disappointed. 
    God still has the final say. Yes, it is very easy to go by what we see and hear. It can be difficult to muster faith when “sight” is so powerful. Yet, just like Jairus, God wants us to go not by what we see or hear but by His promise, His Word to us. God is still able to do the impossible. As Jesus Himself said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). So, be encouraged today…God still has the final say!
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. Life will at times send us discouraging news, fearful situations, all designed to cause us to give up hope. Yet, no matter what comes your way, God still determines what the final outcome will be - good or bad. Trust your life, therefore, in the hands of the God who can handle any situation. Trust Him with every mess, with every challenge, with every hopeless situation and remember … He still has the final say.

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