A Miracle of Healing by George Thomason

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jan 13, 1914

A Miracle of Healing

By George Thomason

Sick in Body and Violently Insane—Restored to Normal

Health in Answer to Prayer By GEORGE THOMASON

GEORGE THOMASON, M.D., is a regular medical practitioner of a wide range of successful experience. In connection with his general practise, he is a specialist in surgery, performing some of the most difficult operations known to the profession. His accomplishments as a scientific physician are embellished and strengthened by his experience as a Christian gentleman. He firmly believes that it is his duty as well as his exalted privilege to bring into all his work the guiding Spirit of the living Christ. He makes it a practise to have a season of prayer with his attendants before going into the operating room. His account herewith of the manifest miracle of God in healing the sick woman is not the production of an ignorant fanatic, but it is the writing of one who is recognized by his medical brotherhood as a skilful, scientific doctor of medicine. He is at present the medical superintendent of the large sanitarium at St. Helena, California.

"This is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us."

JESUS, in His wonderful prayer, said of His disciples, "As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world." And involved in this great commission was the doing of the things which Christ did, and greater than He did, according to His word. How fully the disciples fulfilled their mission is a matter of inspired record in the Acts of the Apostles.

Continuing His prayer, Jesus said, "Neither pray I for these alone." Disciples for all time were graciously and solicitously included in that prayer. And just as the achievements and accomplishments of the early disciples make up the Acts of the Apostles, it was evident the great Master designed that there should be, during all time, a supplementary Acts of the Apostles, and that to-day He wants a twentieth century edition of the Acts of the Apostles. And just as the early disciples were to do the works of Christ, and greater, just so should present-day disciples be able to accomplish greater things for God through following the path that has grown brighter and brighter to a more perfect day, and because of a fuller revelation of the "many things" that Jesus could not say to the early disciples because they could not bear them.

As one of the "things" that would be accomplished through the promise of Jesus, the following experience is made a matter of record to the glory of God and the encouragement of those who may read it.

Some months ago the writer, on his way to his city office, reading the morning paper, noticed an announcement of the return of a missionary from a far Eastern field. After more than twenty years of service in China, with terrible personal experiences during the Boxer uprising, and, more recently, the revolution, this lady was brought, with her family, to this country. Her body was weak and emaciated, and her mind completely shattered. She was at times very violent, seeking to injure members of her family and attempting to end her own life. This was outlined in the paper the morning following the arrival of the company in San Francisco.

Upon reading the item, in just a passing thought, it was hoped that this patient might in some way be brought to the St. Helena Sanitarium for treatment. On arriving at his office, the writer found some gentlemen waiting; and before they uttered a word, the impression was felt that they had come in behalf of the returned missionary. This proved true, and arrangements were soon made for her removal to the sanitarium.

As the weeks went by, proper treatments were administered and many earnest prayers were offered, but the patient seemed to grow worse rather than better. The husband, a devoted man of God, prayed with "strong crying and tears" for the restoration of his wife; but as he said, the more he prayed, the worse the patient became, until it seemed that the stability of his faith was involved in the matter.

In the evening of a day of special violence on the part of the patient, the matter was presented to the family of nurses, and they were requested to make this case one of special prayer at their regular class prayer-meetings. The writer went to his room, and opened his Bible at a venture, hoping for a special promise before kneeling in prayer. The first words upon which the eye rested, were these: "And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." That promise was spread before the Lord, and earnest prayer offered for the restoration of the patient to mental and physical health.

On waking, the first thought in the morning was of the experience of the company who were praying for the release of Peter from prison, and their evident surprise at the answering of their prayer, and we wondered if that would be our experience that day. Immediately upon dressing, the first person to be seen was the nurse of our patient, who came running and saying, "Doctor, my patient wants to know if she can not go to her family."

The family were in a cottage over the hill, and hitherto not one of them could be brought near the patient, as it made her very violent. Then we knew that our prayers had been heard and answered.

The doing of the things which Christ did

The patient was taken to her family. It was a most touching scene. The wife and mother fondly embraced her husband and children, and with great joy and rejoicing they said to the nurse, "Leave us for the day, a happy, reunited family."

From that very hour the patient was healed. And such a prayer of gratitude as was poured out to God by that husband, it has seldom been my privilege to hear. A number of letters since received, state that the blessing remains with them, and the husband says that when he preaches, as he sees the face of his wife looking up at him, it seems to bring the greatest possible inspiration into his sermons.

"He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself." Such experiences confirm within one a faith in the Lord Jesus Christ which principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, can ever shake. "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of His knowledge by us in every place."