Page 76 - Evidence of Things Unseen

a fish with a coin in its mouth to pay the temple tax, then He had no trouble ordering the
circumstances of my life in similarly incredible fashion.
God knew the difficulty of what I was about to walk through, and I needed much
assurance that I was in His will. While in Payne City I would be tempted to bail out of the
walk of faith God had called me to, and to go seek a job just to relieve the pressure I was
under. The Lord performed one more action to keep me from doing so.
On the day of our move I rented a truck and the Barnes family helped us load up all
of our possessions in Fort Valley and move us to Macon. I do not remember doing anything
to injure myself, but as the day wore on I began experiencing more and more pain in my hip
and left leg. This pain was to remain with me during our entire stay in Payne City, and it
reached a point that I could only walk by leaning on a cane. This kept me from abandoning
the walk of faith God had called me to by going out and seeking employment, but it also
provided another message from the Father.
During the time we were at this home, the Georgia National Fair was held in a nearby
town, and I wanted to take my children, for they enjoyed the fair immensely. I prayed and
asked God if He would provide the means for me to take my children, and not much later
their grandfather gave them money for tickets and for the rides. My hip was so painful at
this time that I had to rent a wheelchair at the fair and let Tony and our children push me
around.
We went through one building where exhibitors and various businesses had booths
set up. One of the booths belonged to a local chiropractor, and I felt led to ask them about
my condition. Upon hearing the symptoms they said that I was suffering from sciatica,
which is an inflammation of the sciatic nerve. They gave me a brochure that described what
I was experiencing exactly.
Later, when I was back at our house I began to study the sciatic nerve to see what it
represented in Scripture. I learned that this nerve is the same one the Jews identify as the
sinew the angel touched in the hip of Jacob when Jacob wrestled with God. Jacob refused
to let go of the angel until he received a blessing, and I was also experiencing a time of great
wrestling.
The struggle was tremendous for me, for I was dealing with Tony’s daily threats of
divorcing me and taking my children with her. Some family members were also encouraging
her to divorce me. In the eyes of many Christians, including the men I formerly ministered
with, I stood condemned, having been numbered among the transgressors. My agony over
all these things was great. Despite all these pressures, I clung desperately to God and would
not abandon the struggle, for I felt with a certainty that if I did so I would forfeit the
blessing of God. This thought alone kept me on the cross God had called me to endure.
I read further about Jacob’s own wrestling with God, and the following is recorded:

Genesis 32:31-32
Now the sun rose upon [Jacob] just as he crossed over Penuel, and he was limping
on his thigh. Therefore, to this day the sons of Israel do not eat the sinew of the hip
which is on the socket of the thigh, because he touched the socket of Jacob's thigh
in the sinew of the hip.

Jacob leaned on his staff from that day forward. What is pictured here is God breaking
the natural strength of a man. The staff is a type of Christ, and when Jacob’s natural
strength was touched he was forced to lean on God. So, too, God was seeking to break the