E22 - Account of Surviving Delta Covid

10/04/21 • 13 min

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: [email protected]

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

Episode #22

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

Date: October 4th, 2021

Contact: [email protected]

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.

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.

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

Previous Episode

E21 - Knowing the Will of GOD – How to Discover - Part 2 of 2

The way you make decisions in your life is through the permissive will of God. He gives us choices, but only those which are good for our soul and not harmful or damaging to others.
This episode goes over simple questions and answers about how we can take part in this adventure and take some of the mystery out. And by the way, GOD wants us to enjoy this process called the Christian life!
For full show notes go to hopesharbor.net
Hope’s Harbor Gritty Bible Devotions

Episode #21

Title: Knowing the Will of GOD – How to Discover

Date: September 27th, 2021

Contact: [email protected]

Before going into this episode, my wife Kris asked why I didn’t give more detail in episode 20 about the experience I went through when in the covid ICU. I don’t know why, but I hesitate trying to explain what happened on that spiritual level, something I’ve never experienced before.

Since the event is too long to go into here I recorded it as E21a and posted it for October 4th, 2021

And now, let me get back on track with the focus of this episode ‘Obeying the Will of GOD’:

Key verse(s): Romans 12:2, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Colossians 1:9 – ‘For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;’

Intro: When we obey and apply GOD’s expressed sovereign will to our lives consistently, then, and I think it safe to say, only then does GOD more readily reveal His permissive will to us.

But then, when we determine a course of action within the freedom to choose options and become convinced it is what GOD intends for us a good direction to act on and we don’t follow through, what do you think is the logical outcome for such indecision? When we freeze up with fear and just drift along.

Listen, to do nothing with a choice we know is right is still a decision.

Here’s a quote from an anonymous writer, I have on my wall: “On the plains of hesitation bleach the bones of countless millions who, on the threshold to victory sat down to wait, and waiting they died.”

Devotion focus: Finding GOD’s permissive will for our lives.

The first thing that should come to mind is just what does it mean – GOD’s permissive will?

First off I’m not going into all the theological arguments about every aspect and perception of what is meant by GOD’s permissive will or whether it exists.

For the sake of this devotion, I define GOD’s permissive will as GOD allowing us the freedom to choose options within the Christian life, the condition being we are obeying GOD to the best of our knowledge. This means not living in known, willful sin.

The options are choices we make when deciding where to work, live, marry or not. Some people even apply seeking GOD’s will as to what kind of car to buy.

Concerning our life's work I’ve read GOD isn’t so much concerned with our occupation and much as He is with what we’re occupied with.

So here is a blessedly easy way I’ve used throughout my Christian life, even though I forget the pastor who wrote the book in which this method of making choices is taken.

When trying to decide between choices available to me I ask the following:

1. Is your choice prohibited in the Bible? If so, then don’t do it, period. You would think this goes without saying, but I’ve heard people dismiss the Bible prohibiting something, like divorce for nothing more than convenience sake. They’ll say something like, “I know what the Bible says, but...” and give their excu

Show notes at HopesHarbor.net

Next Episode

E23 - Seeking GOD – Making time for GOD’s Wisdom and Guidance

Time spent with GOD is always worth it. But we live in a world where noise and pressing responsibilities to buy and maintain convenience and comfort push GOD to the sidelines of our lives.
We must find a balance to spend time on all aspects of life: work, family worship, or relaxation! Have you ever tried resting while vacationing? Yeah...the ones at Disney Land/World are nice but not really restful because there's too much noise everywhere drowning out your thoughts. These places are crowded to the max, which then makes balancing fun with rest harder than before.
Anxiety rules and we wonder why we are so agitated all the time.
Please let me share a discovery with you: our peace is found in the GOD of peace. Jesus is called in the Bible the 'Prince of Peace.'
I struggle with treatment-resistant anxiety so I can tell you even though there is an element of stress that never leaves, I found that spending time at the beginning of each day enhances my spirit's peace, even at those times all hell is breaking loose around me.
And then there is GOD's Wisdom and Guidance found throughout the Bible that He will teach and impart to us if we will just spend the time seeking GOD... in His Word.
Full show notes at hopesharbor.net
Hope’s Harbor - Gritty Bible Devotions

Episode #23

Title: Seeking GOD – Making time for GOD’s Wisdom and Guidance

Date: October 11, 2021

Contact: [email protected]

Key verse(s): James 1:5 – ‘If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given.’

Intro: I’m going to draw a lesson from the life of David, before he became king, and look at how David trusted GOD (evidence he spent time with GOD) and looked to GOD when in need while on the run from King Saul.

During these years in David’s life, GOD gave him responsibilities, not only as part of learning to lead but at times to bring David out of despair by keeping him busy caring for others.

When this happens to us, when GOD is teaching us lessons of responsibility, all too often we become so bogged down with the responsibilities and neglect GOD by no longer spending time with Him.

What does this look like when it happens to us? And, how do we usually justify it?

Devotion Focus: Time spent with GOD is well spent

In today’s modern world a downside to conveniences is we are assaulted from every side by the noise coming from those trying to sell us more, the need to keep all the conveniences operating (putting tires on it; a new roof; new flooring; new HVAC, water heater, dishwasher, oh no, the washer and dryer are going out, now the fridge. What about the stovetop oven? Might as well replace it too).

Then I need to maintain a balance of time with work, family, worship and somewhere in there try to rest and relax with ‘time away.’

Ever tried to rest while on ‘vacation?’ You know, the ones at Disney Land/World or any other of a hundred places to ‘go have fun?’

So wherein all of this is GOD?

I’ll tell you... He’s waiting – waiting to hear from us.

The means of communicating with GOD is prayer.

You see, GOD has so much He wants to give us.

Give us what?

First, think of the time you spend with someone you love or even a friend you like being with or hearing from. GOD is intelligent. He has a personality. He created ours. Remember in Genesis chapter 1? Genesis 1:26 – ‘Then GOD said, "Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness;”

David in the Bible trusted GOD with his life. He went to GOD for guidance throughout his life and only got into trouble while king when he ignored GOD's guidance given as a command in Exodus 20:14.

Show notes at HopesHarbor.net

Hope's Harbor Podcast - Gritty Bible Devotions - E22 - Account of Surviving Delta Covid

Transcript

This episode is my account of surviving the Delta variant of COVID.
It's my belief that many people are dying from complications from COVID that aren't realized until it's too late. I had a beloved uncle who died last year from one of these complications, and I've had a couple of friends, former co-workers, who also died from similar causes. I too nearly lost my life to one such complication. I hope by sharing some of the knowledge I gained through the experience w