A Miracle for Shanta Devi
Indian Hindu Woman Encounters Jesus
Shanta Devi lives in a remote village in India. Like many rural dwellers on the subcontinent, she is poor, illiterate, and her life is a daily struggle. As a woman of about 60 years, she has been tested with many trials. However, in recent years, life has been more than just a struggle. She endured terrible suffering with breast cancer, four surgeries, along with stomach and liver problems. Eventually, she found herself in a hospital, semi-conscious and seemingly close to death. The doctors gave no hope for her recovery.
She had pursued a high level of devotion to the Hindu god Kali. She had even funded the building of an idol in her village, honoring the deity and providing a public place of worship. Nevertheless, there was no help for her. Nothing seemed to matter. Her life was ebbing away. One night, as Shanta Devi lay in the hospital bed, she dreamed … or was it a vision? No matter, Jesus came and spoke to her. The Lord ask her “Why are you here?” Then he told her to get up, go home to her village, and receive her healing. Somehow, she did as she was instructed. Once back home, she and her family fasted and prayed for three days, asking Jesus for his mercy. God heard their prayers, and the miracle of healing became hers.
Shanta Devi joyfully and enthusiastically shared her good news with nearly everyone in the village. To date, the Lord has used her to bring 87 people to faith in the Savior! Next, she demolished the Kali idol she had paid to have made. In its place, she helped finance a simple mud structure where 20+ people can worship the Lord. The money came from the sale of her personal gold jewelry, a common source of savings. Because of the rapid growth of the worshiping group, believers are now also sitting under a tarp outside the cover of the church. In addition, Shanta Devi has a vision to educate the children of her village. More than 60 young ones are now benefitting from instruction previously unavailable.
Shanta Devi’s story reminds us of God’s power to take an ordinary life and transform it. Yet, the miracle did not simply end with her life. She became an instrument of God’s love, bringing blessing and hope to many others within her village. Without a doubt, we can affirm, “With God all things are possible!”
By OMS Missionary, Roger Kruse, Church Multiplication Facilitator for IndiaPhotos by Sonika Agarwal and Ashwini Chaudhary, Unsplash