~Daily Devotion 30th~

Home, Doctor and Tick

Part 9

Tonight's story is a little long, but please read every word.

You will see that God is still in the miracle working business.

I told you to use your frontline... I use it every month... Don't people have frontline too...?

Grandma you did not listen to me and you got a tick bite....

Thank goodness we are home for a while, but I am still hurting at the back of my neck, just under the edge of my hair, and now a sore has come up where the tick was on my neck. You know, I think I better go to the doctor, because the head of the tick may still be in the place on my neck.

Bright and early on Wednesday I called and made an appointment to go to see my regular Family Physician, and of course they said come right on in, because you do not play with tick bites. So when I went in, the doctor looked at the place on my neck, and told me there was nothing in the sore, but he wanted to put me on an antibiotic anyway for precaution. He also did a complete blood workup on me to check for Lyme disease, and other infections that can be caused by a tick bite. They told me that they would call when the blood work was back, so I left the doctor's office and went to the drug store, and got my prescription filled, and started taking it immediately.

The next day, when I got up, I had two huge nodules that had appeared about an inch away from the bite, and they were really painful. So I decided to call my Surgeon, and let him look at the places, because if there was something still in the bite he would be the one to remove it.

I went to my iPhone where my contacts are stored, and called the number for my surgeon. Boy, was I surprised when he answered the phone. I said, "you have surprised me because I did not expect you to answer your phone." He replied, "this is my cell phone number." I apologized, and then remembered when I was sick a few years ago, he gave me his number to call him at home, if I had to go to the emergency room. He was the one who wanted to see me, because he knew about all of my surgeries, since he performed all but two of them that I had experienced in the 4 year span, and he did not want me to deal with just anyone. I went ahead and explained why I was calling, and he told me to call his office and tell them he wanted to see me today. So I did, and they gave me an appointment for 2:00 pm.

When I arrived, he looked at the place, and said it did not look like anything was still there, but it looked like I may have a bad infection, mostly because of the nodules that were swollen in the back of my neck. He agreed I needed to be put on an antibiotic, and I told him that my Family Physician from yesterday and already put me on one. He told me to continue to take it, and come back in a week for a recheck. He wanted to keep a close eye on it. He also told me that I had probably had the bite for about two weeks. Why I did not find the tick before then beats me. See, I wash my hair everyday. Anyway, everything is in God's timing.

Now remember, I just got home from a long trip, and now I have been to see two doctors in two days. I was so tired that when I left the surgeon's office I went straight home, instead of going by the grocery store, which I had planned to do. Around 3:10 my phone rang, and it was my Family Physician's office, calling me to tell me that my doctor wanted me to come back in the next day. I said, "okay, has my blood work come back?" She said, "he wants to recheck your tick bite, so can you come in at 10:20 am or 2:30 pm?" I told her I would be there for the 10:20 appointment.

So again, I get up the third day in a row to go to the doctor's office. When I arrived, I signed in, and the receptionist asked me what I was doing there. I told her it beats me, that they had called me to come back in to have my tick bite rechecked is all I know. Anyway, she checks me in, and then they call me back for the doctor to see me. When I got back, I had to sit in the hall, because all the rooms were full. Everyone around me was coughing, so I got up and walked away from them to the end of the row of chairs. I noticed that a lady kept staring at me, so to be polite, I said, "it is a beautiful day today." Bless her heart, she did not feel that way. She answered that she was tired of being sick. I told her that I had experienced a lot of surgeries in the last few years, and was bedridden for almost two years, but God touched and healed my body. Then I asked her if I could pray for her. She said, "oh yes," so I went over, laid my hand on her shoulder, and said a simple, short prayer, asking God to touch her and heal her body.

The second I said amen, the nurse called me into a room. When the doctor came in, he said, "why are you here?" I told him, "your office called me yesterday afternoon and told me you wanted to recheck my tick bite." His answer was, " I did not work yesterday afternoon." By then I am wondering what is going on. I said, "maybe my blood work is in and the lab saw something." He looked in my chart and informed me that the blood work was not back yet. Then he asked me to follow him to the lab, where he asked the lab technician if my blood work was back yet. They said they would look, so he told me to go wait in the lab waiting room, and he would come get me when they gave him the results.

I choose not to sit in that waiting room where everyone was coughing, but to sit around the corner on a bench. I picked up the book that I was reading, and all of a sudden I heard a voice say, "do you not know why you are here?" Oh my gracious! It was God talking to me!

He told me to take my book mark, which had Women of God written on it, and to write my phone number and name on it, and give it to the lady I had prayed for earlier. So I asked the receptionist for a permanent marker, and did exactly what God was telling me to do.

Then I walked around the corner, but did not see the lady, so I asked the nurse if the lady I prayed for was still in the building, and she said yes, so I asked her to give the lady the book mark as a prayer cloth. Then I went and sat back down and started reading my book again. I heard God say, "your time here today was appointed by me." I thought, "oh my gracious!" Then I looked up, and the lady I prayed for and her daughter-in-law were walking to where I was sitting. I looked at her and said, "God told me to tell you that today was appointed by Him just for you. I told her everything about being called to come back to the doctor, then getting here and no one knows why I am here, including the doctor. I laughed and said, "They offered a morning appointment at 10:20 am, or an afternoon appointment at 2:30 pm, but I chose the morning appointment, which was odd, because I usually always make appointments for the afternoon." Her daughter-in-law looked at me and said, "her appointment was for 2:30 this afternoon, but we called and changed it to 10:30 this morning.

I just sat there. God never ceases to amaze me. Again, God said, "tell her this time was appointed by Him."

I said sweetie, I do not know why I am here. The doctor does not know why I am here. I choose an early appointment over an afternoon appointment. You called and changed your appointment from the afternoon to morning, so all I can tell you is God said to tell you this time was appointed by Him, for you. So, I want you to accept your healing from God now, In Jesus Name. She cried, her daughter-in-law cried, I cried, and we all were amazed at how God had used a tick bite to get me to the doctor to pray for her.

I stressed to her over again how God had worked to get me back in the office to just pray for her.

My doctor came around the corner and told me my blood work was fine. No problems. I said well, all I know is your office called me to come back in for you to check my tick bite again, and here I am. He just shook his head, and said make an appointment for a recheck in two weeks, and walked away.

Now you ask, "how could all of this take place?" Only God knows. But for some reason, my chart got put in with the charts to call people back into the office. And when she called, I asked if my blood work back in, and all she could say is what she read on my chart that I had a tick bite. So I guess she figured that the doctor wanted to recheck the bite.

Yes, the doctor who did not even work the afternoon before.

Another note; I probably got the tick while in Georgia. And the friends that I stayed over night with in Georgia, his wife has been sick for some time now, and she has been to several doctors, and they cannot find out what is wrong with her. When the doctor told me symptoms of tick bites, it was the exact symptoms she is having. I called her and asked her if she had been bitten by a tick recently, she informed me that she had had several tick bites. So now she is hopefully seeing a doctor who can help her now, and see if it is a tick bite that is causing her problems. So this tick bite story is two-fold.

Now folks, tell me that God is not still in the miracle working business.

God still speaks to us, and all He wants is for us to be a willing vessel to do His work. So, I ask you today, "are you that vessel?"

Important information: If you are bitten by a tick, please see your doctor. I also would like to let you know that the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine is now doing research on tick bites and humans. So, if your doctor needs any new information about the research they may call the College of Veterinary Medicine, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Their web site is: www.cvm.ncsu.edu

My local Veterinarian has informed me that that are more diseases from tick bites than just Lyme disease, and a lot of Physicians do not know this information.

Remember Folks, a good way to show us you love us is by making sure you treat us regularly with tick and flea preventative. Also, make sure we get our heart worm treatment as prescribed by your Veterinarian.

Well, have you ever watched a Woodpecker? They never give up. They will constantly peck away at a tree branch until it is destroyed. They have even pecked at the wood on houses, until the wood on the house had to be replaced. You also can hardly get rid of a Woodpecker. The only way some people have gotten rid of one is to destroy it, which is a federal offense.

Now I am going to share some facts about the Woodpecker. Please read the facts, then you will understand the devotion. ** Woodpeckers are seldom seen in flocks. Most of them are solitary or in pairs. Their lives are lived mostly on tree trunks and branches, head up and tails down. They perch on or move up tree trunks, searching for insects or digging holes for roosting and nesting spots. They have pointed beaks that are straight and very hard, and they use their beaks rather like chisels. They also use their beaks to hammer or drum and tap to communicate with one another, and to court. There are three-toed woodpeckers and four-toed woodpeckers, but all woodpeckers have short legs and long, strong toes with curved, sharp nails so that they can cling to trees.

First try to get rid of the Woodpecker: Cover all holes as soon as possible. Place a metal sheathing or plastic sheeting over the pecked areas on building siding to offer permanent protection from continued damage. Occasionally, the birds will move over to an unprotected spot and the protected area must be expanded. Aluminum flashing is easy to work with to cover damaged sites. Woodpeckers will sometimes peck through aluminum flashing. Metal sheathing can be disguised with paint or stimulated wood grain to match the siding. ** Just make sure that the woodpecker is not living in your home. Disturbing a woodpecker den or killing one is a federal offense.

Second: Harass and scare the woodpecker causing damage using one or more of the following techniques. Remember no harassment technique works all the time or in every situation. It may take a variety of techniques and repeated prevention methods to effectively solve the problem. Woodpeckers can be very persistent and are not easily driven from their territories or selected pecking sites. In any event, once a woodpecker problem has been noted, you should act quickly to discourage him before the woodpecker decides your home is a nice place to live!!**

"Pat's Opinion" Well, do you know what I am going to talk about? Yes, The devil and his team of demons. When you ask Jesus to come into your heart and you are delivered of your past, I can guarantee that satan will come back and try to tempt you of the things you did in the past. He will see if you are strong in the Lord, or if you are straddling the fence. He will keep hammering away, until he can find a place where he will perch himself on you, and go up and down, trying to find your weak spot.

The best way to prevent the devil from taking up residence in your life, is to GET IN THE WORD. Then you will know that you know, that the devil is not living in your life.

(Luke 7: 24-26) 24. “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’

26. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”

Jesus is talking about the empty place left in your life, after you have been delivered. If you do not fill it with the God's Word, Prayer, and fellowship with other Christians, you are opening yourself up to be drawn back into that sinful nature. Then your state will be seven times worse then before.

And do not depend on your wife, husband, children, preacher, etc. to do the studying and the praying for you, to keep you covered. It does not work that way. You have to do it yourself. When others pray for you, it is them just asking God to protect you and watch over you until you get some sense in your head. You cannot get to Heaven on someone else's coat tail.

I really do not want to get into the next statement at this time, but I feel I need to share what the scripture is really talking about, then I will go on with the devotion. (I will let you know that Jesus was mainly talking in the verse about a person being delivered from demons and not being saved. The vacuum left by the departure of an evil spirit must be filled with the Holy Spirit, or else the individual is open to worse demonic activity. Jesus is warning that when a situation like this happens before a fundamental reform happens, the person's state can be worse than before the deliverance. In other words, when a person lacks the spiritual discernment to recognize Jesus as the Savior.)

When you are saved, you need to get into the Word of God. That is so important. You need to dress daily in the armor of God. You need to keep yourself covered from the attacks of satan and his demons. You need to make sure that you do not let your armor down.

Ephesians 6:10-18 10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

11. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

13. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

16. above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

17. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

18. praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

Just like when they tell you to put up metal sheathing to keep the Woodpecker away, they also tell you that the Woodpecker will move to another spot, and while looking for food he will destroy that portion of the wood. Satan will also do the same thing. He tries to feed on you and destroy you. If you do not stay covered he will slip in, just like the Woodpecker, trying to find another weak spot, a place in your life that you have not completely turned over to God. Hidden sin in your life. Remember the people around you may not see or know it, but God does.

The Armor of God does not cover a sinful nature. The devil will try to find out where you are the weakest. He is persistent, just like the Woodpecker. I will say, that when dealing with satan, you have to be strong in the Lord. You cannot play church on Sunday and Wednesdays, and think you have the strength to tell satan where to go. You cannot scare the devil away on your own.

How much can I emphasize that you have to study God's Word and pray, to be strong in the Lord. The devil does not play fair, and the only way you can get rid of that persistent devil is to defeat him with the Word of God and be covered with the Armor of God.

Jesus defeated satan in the wilderness by saying, "It is written" He was talking about the Word of God. And satan who also knows the Word of God, and was stupid enough to try to temp Jesus with the Word.

Matthew 4:1-11 1. Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

2. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.

3. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

4. But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

5. Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,

6. and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘ He shall give His angels charge over you,’and, In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”

7. Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’”

8. Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.

9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

10. Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”

Just as the Woodpeckers can be very persistent and are not easily driven from their territories or selected pecking sites, Satan is persistent and cannot be driven away with just a little, "devil get out of my life."

You need to realize that when Jesus died on the cross, He then gave you the authority to stomp the devil into the ground. When Jesus died on the cross, He put the devil under your feet. I cannot understand why people who know God's Word, just like the devil knows God's Word, let the devil run over them. Even the demons know God and fear Him. And when you have Jesus in your heart and know you are in Christ, the devil and demons should fear you when you walk into the room.

In any event, once a woodpecker (The devil and his demons) problem has been noted, you should act quickly to discourage him (The devil and his demons) before the woodpecker (the devil and his demons) decides your home is a nice place to live.

Do you have any Woodpeckers (habits or sins) in your life today? Has the devil and his demons taken up residence at your house? If so, get rid of them now. Get down on your knees and repent of those sinful habits. Ask God to forgive you, then get in God's Word, Pray, and get into a church where you can be in fellowship with other Christians. Being in fellowship with other Christians will help you. For sometimes you need someone to help hold your hands up. You may be saying, but the church is full of hypocrites. Well, one more won't hurt. If you are judging the people in the church you are just as bad as they are.

You just get in there, and do what God wants you to do. Do not worry about what sister or brother so and so is doing. God will take care of them.