Faith in God is enough, but it’s nice every once in a while to receive a sign that He is listening.
What happened to Phil Robertson might just be one of those consolations.
The patriarch of the “Duck Dynasty” clan, who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and a blood disease, according to Fox News, experienced a brief “reprieve” from his symptoms after the family spoke about his condition on the “Unashamed with the Robertson Family” podcast Friday.
The family believes it has something to do with the outpouring of prayers for him.
Over the weekend, Phil Robertson showed marked improvement in his condition, and his son, Jase Robertson, shared his thoughts about it on Monday’s episode.
“During that little transition time, Phil had a little bit of a reprieve from his pain,” Jase Robertson said about the change since the podcast aired.
“Although his overall conditions remain the same, he just felt better,” he added, noting that his father hadn’t been eating or generally doing well before then.
“I really feel like it was just the prayers,” Jase Robertson explained of his father’s sudden turn for the better. “Because, you know, for months, he’s been on a downward decline.”
Later in the program, Phil Robertson’s nephew, Zach Dasher, echoed that sentiment, adding that the change came after Franklin Graham asked for the public’s prayers.
“He wasn’t healed, but he has had some reprieve in his pain, and I’ve got to think that that’s the prayers of millions of people that went up over the last four days,” Dascher told co-hosts Al and Jase Robertson.
“It’s been shocking,” he added.
Jase Robertson said that before this change in his father, he had been praying that the Lord would “take him,” because he was in a great deal of pain.
“I said that prayer, which was very difficult. I think the lowest point was when I literally prayed pretty much all day,” Jase Robertson shared.
“I threw that in there, because I just thought, ‘He is absolutely miserable.’ And then the next time I had seen him, it was quite remarkable,” he added.
“And so, thanks to God, and all your prayers that he’s had, I’d say the last few days, it’s been a temporary reprieve from the pain and suffering,” Jace Robertson said to the fans.
What happened with Phil Robertson proves that God answers all of our prayers.
Occasionally, it’s in the form of a miracle for the ages, like the resurrection of Lazarus or the healing of a blind man.
But more often than not, it comes in little ways, like a few good days in the midst of a devastating illness.
The Robertsons have always put their full faith in Jesus Christ, and this illness is no different than anything else that they’ve entrusted to their Savior.
This time, it came in Phil Robertson’s returning appetite and improving mood, and they are grateful for it.
But regardless of how the illness progresses, Phil Robertson and his family remain confident that they will live for eternity in everlasting joy, completely free of pain and suffering.
This recent change is certainly a small miracle of sorts, but the witness of the Robertson family through it all is equally inspiring for those of us who need these reminders.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
