Sid: Hello, Sid Roth here with Ben Godwin. So you’re with the doctor,
the doctor is reading the riot act to your mother for waiting so long. You could’ve died from an infection. He looks at the x-ray, he comes out, and what does he say?
Ben: The next day he made an appointment to remove the pins that were in my leg. He said that they were no longer necessary.
Sid Roth: How did he account for that?
Ben: He was baffled. In fact, I believe he was a religious man, but I don’t know that he really knew Jesus. We found out later, through the grapevine my mom employed a housekeeper who also worked for the same doctor and we heard later that it had such a profound and dramatic effect on him that he started reading his Bible, and started attending a Bible believing church.
Sid: Ok! Let’s take a look at the x-rays. Tell me what you have here today.
Ben: This first x-ray shows the two pins running horizontally through my leg. It also shows the three inch chunk of missing bone.
Sid Roth: That’s the “before.”
Ben: Yes. This x-ray was taken two months after my accident, with no visible improvement.
Sid: From the time of this x-ray showing no change, what is the time of this one? How much time elapsed?
Ben: This one was taken in March, so this was several months later.
This was the last x-ray I ever had taken. This shows the full bone filled in completely. The doctor, after I had prayer 27 days later,
was so convinced that the bone was restored that he took the pins out, told me I could begin walking without crutches. God did a total miracle.
Sid: Why did you write this book, “God’s Strategy For Tragedy”?
Ben: First, I wanted to share my testimony, and to let people know Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He doesn’t change. What God did in Bible days, I believe He still does today.
Sid: You have these x-rays right in the book, of course.
Ben: Yes, and there are also four hospital records that verify the story as well.
Sid: Oh, remember the story that at best, you would be limping, but need bone graft, and at worst you’d lose your leg? Tell me about the limping.
Ben: Ha ha! No limping. In fact, all throughout junior high and high school, I was able to participate in athletics: basketball, football, water skiing, I’ve snow skied, all without any difficulty. In fact, I won a state tournament in Florida for ping pong, which you can’t do with a bad leg. Ha ha!
Sid: Tell me about this book, “God’s Strategy For Tragedy.” What’s the most important lesson you learned about tragedy in this book?
Ben: God is a master at bringing good out of bad situations. I’m sure all of your viewers have questions about why God allows tragedy…
Sid: Of course.
Ben: …when in His sovereignty, He could prevent it. There’s several reasons. Sometimes, it’s to manifest His glory. It’s an opportunity for God to intervene. Sometimes He allows tragedy to change our direction. Sometimes tragedy can be somebody’s wakeup call,
where they realize they need God. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes drastic measures to get some peoples’ attention. Other times, tragedy can be a learning experience to prepare us for ministry. There’s nothing like having been through something where you can then turn around in compassion and relate to someone else and say “God brought me through that. He can do the same for you.”
But more than all of those, I think tragedy is often a result of living in a fallen world. This world doesn’t function the way God intended it to function. Sometimes we’re quick to say “That’s an act of God”,
or “That’s an act of the Devil”. Sometimes it’s just a result of living in a fallen world. Jesus said God makes His sun to shine on the good and the evil, He sends the rain on the just and the unjust. So it’s not so important why God allows tragedy. What’s more important how we respond to tragedy.
Sid: When I was reading your book, and it is a very important book,
it answers a lot of questions that people are posing, especially people who aren’t believers in God when they read it and hear about your miracle testimony. But I thought of the prophet Daniel and the fiery furnace, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they’re about ready to go to their death, and they say “Our God’s going to take care of us,
but even if He doesn’t, I will not bow down to you, oh king.” I have to tell you, there are a lot of things I don’t understand. I wish I understood more than I do. Even with this gray hair, there’s a lot of things I don’t understand. But the one thing I understand is,
God is good, and God is love, and I will serve Him no matter what life hands my way. I don’t understand, when people have intimacy with God, why everyone doesn’t feel that way. Maybe I answered my own question, they don’t have intimacy with God.
Ben: Some people respond to tragedy by blaming God. They shake their fists in anger and say “Why did You let this happen?”
Sid: I did that one time. This is a true story. I was driving my car and something bad happened, and I took my fist and put it up in the air like this and said “God, why did You allow this?” Instantly, I had a fender bender. I never did it again.
Ben: Some people blame God. Other people, they’re not that bold, but they become bitter. They begin to view life and people through the dark lenses of their personal, painful experiences. But the Bible presents another alternative. Instead of blaming God, instead of becoming bitter… I know, because I lost my mom this past May,
and she was a believer down to the last breath. Job had more calamity than any other Bible character. Ten children lost, all of his livestock were gone, his own health deteriorated. But here’s what he said:
“Though God slay me, yet will I trust in Him.” I think God wants us to get to the point where we’re determined we’re going to serve Him,
we’re going to trust Him. My view is, if God never does another thing for me, He’s already done enough for me to serve Him the rest of my life.
Sid: Me too. How about you? But you know, God has a strategy for the worst tragedy, the absolute worst tragedy that can happen to a human. You know what His strategy is? Heaven. You know what His strategy is? You’ll never be alone. You know what His strategy is?
He takes your big mess and turns it around for good. You know what His strategy is? He has the most wonderful life in store for you, but you’re literally acting in pride when you do the opposite of what God wants you to do. I want you to know something. All God wants you to do is accept His amazing gift. He sent His Son, the Messiah, Yeshua, Jesus, who died for you. And when He died for you, He died for every one of your sins, and He died for every one of your sicknesses. That is truth. Let every man be a liar, but God’s word is true. If you will turn from your sins, tell God you’re sorry, ask His help to turn from your sins you can’t do it by yourself with His help, and then believe that because of His death, every rotten, horrible thing you’ve ever done,
God says “I will remember your sins no more.” You become righteous.
You are as righteous and clean and holy in God’s sight as His Son Jesus is. That’s righteous. It’s such an amazing gift that God wants to shower upon you right now. He has done everything He’s ever going to do. He’s now waiting for you. You’re not waiting on Him, He’s waiting for you. Don’t say “God, I need a sign.” You have a sign. You’re watching this TV show right now. This is God’s sign for you, and this is God’s moment for you. Do you love living without the peace, presence,
and victory of knowing that, if God is for you, who can be against you.
God is telling me that people are being healed right now. Make Jesus your Lord. There are people who’s backs are being healed now,
necks, an ear has just been opened, a hip is being healed. If you will move parts of your body that I’m mentioning, you’ll see that by His wounds you were healed. Make Jesus your Lord. No more tragedy for you. No more.
