When Samidha began to suffer from intense stomachaches, there was nothing she could do to ease the pain. Her doctor told her to go to the hospital, but the family could not afford to send her there.
Local Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Kapil could see the young family struggling. He visited Samidha and her husband, Tapesh, and shared the hope of Christ with them, but they refused to accept the things he shared. Samidha held fast to her belief in one of Asia’s traditional religions, and Tapesh proclaimed to already be a Christian.
Despite being opposed by the couple, Kapil prayed earnestly for Samidha to be healed from her stomach pain, and God answered his prayers. The couple then began attending Pastor Kapil’s church services. One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed a strange expression on Samidha’s face during the worship. She began shouting,
“I am released from the bondage of Satan. I am no more in the darkness of Satan’s power but in the light of Jesus. He alone heals me from my sickness. He is my Doctor and my Healer.”
She then confessed her sins and asked Christ to be her Savior and Lord.
Standing Firm in the Gospel
From then on, both she and her husband trusted in Jesus. But their trust came at a cost.
Samidha’s parents threatened to disown her if she did not come back to the religion of their family, but this did not sway her decision to follow the Lord.
“I cannot go back to my old religion because I received Jesus Christ who can save me from my sin and eternal hell and freely give me eternal security,” Samidha told her parents. “Whether it is hard or easy, whether in happiness or unhappiness, I will not return.”
Hardships in Samidha and Tapesh’s lives have not eased, and they remain materially poor, but they have discovered the richness of a life full of love, joy and peace in Jesus.
Read another story about how physical healing resulted in spiritual life.
