In life, stuff happens! And those unpleasant happenings come in all shapes and sizes. Some are mere challenges or obstacles, while others are catastrophic upheavals. The fact is, we all face them and respond differently to their unwelcomed arrival.
Journey to a Miracle is a powerful testimony, written from the heart, with wisdom and encouragement. It explores the responses that Jeff Scislow took when faced with an onslaught of bizarre occurrences that escalated to where he was diagnosed with an incurable disease. This is a true story of overcoming adversity through faith and determination; one that will inspire you to rise above any challenge you may be facing now or in the future and pave your way to greater successes in life.
Introduction:
Take a moment and consider the following: When hit with a significant event that rocks your world, puts the pressure on, costs you dearly, or somehow interrupts your life in an unpleasant way, how do you personally respond? Are your responses deliberate or unpredictable? Do you take action, or do you feel helpless? What about your emotions … are they cool, calm, and collected or filled with stress and anxiety or perhaps even anger? How satisfied have you been with your method of response and the resulting outcomes?
Over the years, I’ve observed great contrast in the human response to the challenges we all encounter. As a result of these observations, as well as numerous personal experiences, I’ve become convinced that the outcome of any given challenge is significantly tied to the response given it. I’ve found that any response has a tendency to fall into one of two predominant and opposing categories: faith-based or fear-based. Consider the differences: Faith refreshes and promises to deliver, while fear grips and ultimately destroys.
When a person chooses to believe in a positive outcome through faith, it births hope. Hope in turn inspires and fuels the journey toward the goal of what is expected through faith. Outcomes of faith-based actions are overwhelmingly positive and at times even miraculous. Fear-based responses on the other hand, while they could motivate one into taking an initial action, oftentimes immobilize and keep a person from taking any action at all, leaving its victim in a realm of self-pity, depression, or worse.
So, why wouldn’t everyone respond from a position of faith instead of fear when facing some of life’s biggest hurdles or surprises? Perhaps some are not sure what they believe. Others may not know what to have faith in. Still, others may be unsure what faith is all about. In fact, the entire issue of faith can be confusing and difficult to wrap one’s mind around.
There is much to learn about faith from the Old Testament account of Job. Job was a man of integrity, upright in all his ways. In fact, he was described as the most righteous man in all the land. In addition to being a man of great character, he was also a man of great wealth. His possessions were vast in number, which included land, animals, and servants. One day, in the midst of his great success, calamity struck with a vengeance. In a matter of hours, one catastrophe after another stripped him of everything he owned! Shortly thereafter, boil-like sores broke out all over his body. Next, his wife and friends turned on him and accused him falsely of things he must have done to bring such calamity upon himself. Even though Job was financially, physically, and emotionally devastated, he chose to respond out of faith and not out of fear in the midst of his dire circumstances.
As a result of Job’s faith response to these challenges, a response he persisted in each and every day, he was later rewarded with the restoration of his health and the doubling of the great wealth he once had. What was this faith that Job had and where did he get it?
Job simply chose to believe in the promises of God that are recorded in the most published book in the history of the world – the Bible. No matter how devastating his circumstances, he made a conscious decision to believe in the promises rather than what he visually saw, emotionally felt, or had a tendency to otherwise believe.
Job’s is not an isolated story of overcoming challenging circumstances through faith. Today there are incredible, even miraculous stories of faith taking place all around us. Through faith people are being delivered from financial woes, relational issues, unpleasant medical diagnoses, and the many crazy and sometimes bizarre situations we all face in life.
Faith has operated mightily in my life for years, and I’ve learned that three basic components must be at work in order for faith to produce the type of amazing outcomes of which it is capable. First, it is essential to identify a promise from the Bible that fits your situation. If you have need for healing, for example, then locating passages that promise healing from a sickness or disease is your initial step. Second, make a conscious choice to believe in the promise(s) no matter what you may be witnessing around you. Rest assured, doubt will creep in, but you must stand firm on what you believe. Do not waver or allow fear to derail your faithful expectation. Third, be patient and continually trust that the promise is for you and will come to pass in God’s perfect timing, not necessarily yours.
While there are additional components of exercising your faith, such as discernment, wisdom, and common sense, the above three are foundational when putting your faith into action. Once you’ve made up your mind to engage your faith, a sense of peace and assurance will rise up within you. As you walk by faith and not by sight, you’ll have placed yourself in the realm of unlimited possibility, even the miraculous.
The Bible defines faith as the evidence of things not seen, and the substance of things hoped for (see Hebrews 11:1). This means that you must believe that you have that which you seek before the evidence or substance has appeared. This must become a conviction because it is the key to unlocking the divine power of the promises. Then, out of this conviction, you must take action by living and speaking words that are consistent with the promises. After all, faith without action is useless.
So, how can you understand these promises and obtain the faith necessary to overcome the challenges of life? Faith arrives then grows by reading and knowing about the promises (that too is a promise). While the promises are free and available to all, each of us is reminded that we must believe in order to receive the manifestation of the great promises found in the Bible. We’re encouraged to follow by example: …be an imitator of those who through faith and patience inherit the Promises (Hebrews 6:12). These promises are available to you. They are available to all who seek, who ask, and who would knock to have the door of understanding opened, and through them nothing will be impossible for you.
There is no mountain so high you cannot climb it, no valley so low you cannot travel its barren ground, and no ocean so deep you cannot navigate its rough waters.
As you’ll learn from the pages in this book, I’ve had the privilege of walking through the valley of the shadow of death and have experienced the miraculous power as a result of faith in these promises. They can and will produce miracles in your life and are your unmatched weapons in overcoming fear and rising above any challenge you may be facing now or in the future. Allow this true story, which escalates in intensity and severity, to bless you, inspire you, and propel you into a new level of faith, possibility, and empowerment. Nothing is impossible to those who believe!
About the Author:
In 2001, successful real estate broker Jeff Scislow began what would be his toughest battle; the battle for his life. Diagnosed with aplastic anemia, he was told that his prognosis was grim and to get his affairs in order. Through prayer, faithful expectation and sheer determination, Jeff optimistically ran that race and today, he is in perfect health.
After his miraculous recovery he continued to build upon his successful real estate business while penning two books – The Promise, which is now available in multiple languages, andJourney to a Miracle.
Jeff resides in Apple Valley, Minnesota. He regularly speaks on a variety of business and inspirational topics around the world.