Reliance on God Heals Painful Bump

A young man shares the healing of a growth on his foot and the powerful realization that accompanied it.

By Max Martina Meeks Bay, California

Categories: Health

It seems like only yesterday when I had this wonderful experience that taught me so much about God's great love for me. I was 15 years old and discovered a bump on the bottom of my foot. The bump appeared quite strange to me, but I gave it very little thought. Over the next couple of weeks, it grew larger and walking became increasingly more difficult. The pain in my foot grew steadily worse when I walked. And when I took my socks off, I constantly examined it to see if it had grown any larger. I was embarrassed by its ugliness and I was concerned that the pain I felt while walking might prevent me from participating in my upcoming baseball Games. A close relative I confided in told me I would have to have it surgically removed.

Though I grew up without attending any particular Sunday school, it occurred to me that I could rely on God's love for me to help me through this challenging situation. My reliance on God seemed natural. After all, if God was omnipotent, then there was nothing that could be impossible to Him. If God was omnipresent, then God was with me whenever I was confronted with frustration. And if God truly loved me, He wouldn't create an ugly growth for me to suffer with.

I explained my newfound realization to my mom. She read a verse from the Bible, which she thought might help me. It's from Isaiah and it begins, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace..."(Isa 52:7)

I started to think about the significance of that statement and I realized that my most important job wasn't to think about my foot, the discomfort or the pain, but to focus instead on bringing good tidings - joy and happiness - with me wherever I went, and to express the peace I felt when I knew I was surrounded by God's ever-present tenderness. I began to see that I was as innocent as each of God's children. I was simply God's messenger, conveying "good tidings" and "peace." The only job of the messenger is to relay the message. I didn't have to worry about what others would think of the message and I certainly didn't have to worry about how to convey the message - it was my job and I knew exactly how to do my job as naturally as I knew how to breathe.

The power of the verse stuck with me and I felt as though I was on top of a mountain. Resting in the knowledge of God's power, I could forget about the pain. It wasn't a conscious decision - the pain just ceased to hold as much weight for me. After all, I was feeling and radiating joy and peace in my life, so my feet were naturally "beautiful upon the mountains" - as the Bible verse said.

The next day before bed, I took off my socks and the growth fell off of my foot completely. I was astonished! On the one hand, I knew - at least intellectually - of God's great power, but on the other hand, here was tangible proof of that power. Today, when I am confronted with adverse circumstances, I remember the lesson I learned. All of us convey a profound message of joy and peace to the world: God loves each of us supremely.