Scott shared the following devotional thoughts at his 40^th birthday party; thirteen years ago. This birthday was a cause for great celebration since doctors gave him a projection of only two–five years to live. This was his second year following his diagnosis of ALS in 1997. We rejoiced as if Scott had broken a type of time barrier given to him; the first of many to follow.

Glennis and I were devastated by the news of my ALS diagnosis. The doctor gave us no hope; I couldn’t imagine how I could ever make it through this time. The neurologist tried to dash my hope in God’s promises with an accusation that I was “living in denial”. Did he think I foolishly believed in a God who doesn’t hear, listen or answer His promises or his children’s prayers? I’ve held onto one truth since that day “against hope, Abraham believed in hope” Romans 4:18. When questions came, I just kept holding onto hope. God has encouraged me to never lose my hope; to never lose faith in Him. He promises us “those that wait upon the Lord shall mount up with wings as eagles” (Isaiah 40:31).

A few weeks ago, I fell on my face and I thought “I guess it’s all over” but as discouraged as I felt, I just started clinging onto little promises that God had given me. God spoke to my heart to stand in faith against the accusations of hopelessness. I can believe God does do miracles. I plan to face my trials by holding onto Gods’ promises in faith, little encouraging promises and thoughts of other faithful believers. I kept thinking of people in the Bible that have gone through battles, those that have been valiant in truth; valiant in the Word of God. I determined that I can’t go by what I see, I can’t go by sight, I have to go by God’s Word. I can believe in God’s promises, believe against all hope. Glennis and I keep clinging to God’s promises, greatly inspired by the warriors of faith that have gone on before us, both in written and living epistles.

When the world says the door is shut, we can still believe that there is an open door.  God will keep it open for you and for me. In Revelation 4, regarding the church of Philadelphia, there is mentioned a door that nobody can shut. The Lord personally encouraged me that this door of faith, God has given me, no one can shut. The doctors, the naysayers or the doubters can’t shut it; God’s going to keep it open because it is a door of faith. God’s going to keep it open and show great us great and mighty things.

God will do amazing things when we ask and pray. He will build faith fields in all of us, walls of faith in each person. Recognize answered prayer, write it down and hide it in your heart (Hab 4). By reminding ourselves of God’s goodness and faithfulness we can cooperate to build strong walls of faith in our souls. Build your walls with God’s promises and individual acts that He has done.

As we go forward in the work of God, look to those who have gone before, those who have been courageous; those who, no matter the circumstance, believe and hold onto God’s Word.  As believers and children of God, we can choose to believe all things in Christ, we can go forward in the call of God with valiant hearts of faith.

“Being valiant for the Lord, Valiant in truth, clinging to promises God had given them and they have run with these promises” Hebrews 11:34

When I think of healing and bravery in the midst of certain death, no other person stands out to me like Hezekiah. Hezekiah came to the throne of Judah nine years after the northern kingdom of Israel was carried away into captivity by the king of Assyria. Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign as Judah’s King (see 2 Kings 18:13).

Hezekiah’s Heart

Hezekiah had such an amazing heart to serve God. During his early years as King of Judah, he undertook sweeping religious reforms that Jerusalem hadn’t seen since the days of King Solomon. He removed idolatrous elements from worship, cleansed and sanctified the temple and restored the Levites back to their temple duties. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered. (See 2 Chron. 31:21.)

Untimely Assault

But after these deeds of faithfulness, Sennacherib, king of Assyria (who represents the devil), came against Hezekiah. Sennacherib, with his great Assyrian army (represents the demonic hordes of hell), destroyed and laid waste every city and nation in its path on its way to the ultimate goal of conquering Jerusalem. When the Assyrian force arrived outside the city walls, its field commander brought a message from Sennacherib himself.

In an attempt to demoralize the Jews, the field commander announced to the people on the city walls of Jerusalem that Hezekiah was deceiving them and that Yahweh could not deliver Jerusalem from the king of Assyria. He listed the gods of the people thus far swept away by Sennacherib then said:

“This is what the great king of Assyria says: What are you trusting in that makes you so confident? Let not Hezekiah deceive you. For he will not be able to deliver you out of my hand…Nor let Hezekiah make you trust in and rely on the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of Assyria’s king” (2 Kings 18:19, 30).

Sending Lies

Hezekiah was doing all these great things for God and serving Him with all his heart—then Sennacherib came to attack Jerusalem. The first thing Sennacherib did before any physical assault was attempt to send lies over the city walls of Jerusalem — to try and promote fear and doubt in the people’s hearts and to question Gods power to deliver.

I can only imagine the lies the enemy directed at Hezekiah such as:

• “Where is your God now”
• “Your God has failed you”
• “You’re going to die”
• “I’ve taken down greater men than you”
• “You’re next Hezekiah because God sent me to tell you”

Dear friend, the devil will come after a believer with his biggest attacks when you display you are a threat to his kingdom and are showing others the way out of darkness. He sends lies over the walls of your mind attempting to shake your faith in Gods power to deliver again. Satan just wants you to believe one of his lies so that you will back down and surrender your faith in God.

Turning to God and His Word

Rather than surrender to the enemy, which appeared to be the only option for Hezekiah in this life or death scenario, he turned to God and His word for deliverance. Hezekiah understood the reality of the predicament in which he found himself. He did not deny it, but chose to believe God above it.

“Of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their countries, and have cast their gods into the fire…..Now, therefore O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know, that Thou art the Lord, even Thou only” (Isaiah 37:18-20).

God was pleased that Hezekiah came to Him asking for help and He answered in dramatic fashion.

“Because you have prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria… Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow here or come before it with shield or cast up a siege mound against it…For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David. And the Angel of the Lord went forth, and slew 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when [the living] arose early in the morning, behold, all these were dead bodies.^” (Isaiah 37:21,33,35-36, AMP).

God Is Able

Hezekiah, when faced with death, turned to God in prayer and reminded God of his power, faithfulness, testimony and promises…and by the time he was done, God sent the prophet Isaiah with an answer.

God not only sent word of an answer, He was faithful to fulfill it!  He put to death 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp. “When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies” (Isaiah 37:36, NIV).

Are you facing a crisis of almost certain defeat? Rather than surrender to the enemy, go to God in prayer. He is able to answer in dramatic fashion and deliver you!

Listen here: Scott and Glennis Brodie Interview with Lisa Buffaloe

Visit Lisa at: livingjoyfullyfree.blogspot.com

Recorded the day after Scott Brodie was profoundly impacted by a personal encounter with Christ. This experience has been an anchor in his fight against ALS and has always kept him believing the call of God on his life. Just months after Scott’s diagnosis, he states his desire to return to AZ.