E22 - Account of Surviving Delta Covid

Hope's Harbor Podcast - Gritty Bible Devotions

This is not a devotion in the normal format. Instead, I recorded an account of having recently survived the Delta variant of Covid-19 in August 2021.
I hope to give an understanding of the effects of the virus and its sometimes deadly consequences.
I survived due to 3 factors:
1) The diligence of my wife who woke me at 3:00 am on August 11th after taking a sample of my oxygen levels with a pulse oximeter and I was at 51%. She strongly urged me to go with her to the ER for the 3rd time in two weeks. I was very sick by this point and resisted, but eventuall yielded. The ER doctor, after having a CT scan performed on my lungs, told me if I had not come in when I did it was likely I would not have survived that day.
2) The excellent care and treatment by the staff in the ICU of a nearby hospital over the next 6 days. (The fact I was released so soon after being told initially I would likely be there 3-5 weeks was due to the medical treatments and prayer.)
3) As mentioned above, prayer made my recovery possible through medical means and I believe also by direct intervention from GOD. I try to explain it in this episode.
I discovered after recording this episode I got the dates I off by a week when the event occured - it was actually on 8/11-17 when I was hospitalized. My apologies -
Full show notes at hopesharbor.net
Hope’s Harbor Gritty Bible Devotions

Episode #22

Title: My account of surviving the Delta variant of covid.

Date: October 4th, 2021

Contact: [e-mail]

Key verse(s):

Intro: When I recorded the following account as part of E21 it was too long to put in a regular episode since I try to keep them less than 10 minutes.

The reason I left my account long on details is my belief many people are dying from complications from covid that aren’t realized until it’s too late. A beloved uncle died last year from one of these complications and I’ve had a couple of friends/former coworkers who also died from similar causes.

I too, nearly lost my life to one such complication.

For this reason and the spiritual experience, I offer this on the off chance it may help someone.

Episode focus: We are eternally safe in GOD’s care regardless of events that happen to us in this life.

First of all, I’m not someone who flaunts any experience with GOD, because these are deeply personal. Secondly, I don’t believe in showcasing experiences with GOD in an attempt to motivate GOD’s people. I believe it often leads to Christians seeking GOD for some kind of experience, something to generate excitement. This belief is based on experience while attending a church as a child that focused much attention on emotional stimulus.

However, I will try to share what happened, but caution against seeking this kind of experience. Anyone who seeks GOD in order to know Him better and serve Him out of love for Him will experience sometimes wonderful revelations.

But these have been few and far between in my walk with GOD for the last 44 years this month, September 2021. The walk of faith, by definition believing what we cannot see, implies we should serve GOD without demanding or expecting a visible, physical show of evidence. Jesus said better are those who believe without seeing (evidence). This principle is found in John 4:48 – ‘Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe." And also: John 6:26 - Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.”’

On July 28th I became ill, thinking it was a cold and sore throat only, but by the next day re

Show notes at HopesHarbor.net