Piggy-Backing God’s Word
For the last seven years I have been suffering extreme menopause symptoms that really were making my life miserable. I had asked God for help many times and had tried numerous things to help, all to no avail. Extreme anxiety, physical pain from muscle cramps and spasms that would happen with overuse of any muscle, bad acid reflux, irritable bowel along with hot flashes and night sweats were really taking a toll. Living normally was not easy. One of the things I was using daily to help with my symptoms was chamomile tea. I had been drinking this once a day for over a year. Recently however I had learned through studying that chamomile was an oestrogen blocker which meant although it was helping with the irritable bowel, muscle spasms and anxiety I was suffering, it may have been making my low oestrogen symptoms like heart palpitations, hot flashes and night sweats worse. Not being sure that chamomile was worsening my symptoms I was tossing up whether to stop this tea (and every time I tried) a couple days later I would awake from sleep with painful spasms and cramps in my sternum, chest and back that would feel like I was having a heart attack. Chamomile is an antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory so really helped prevent these spasms. I became desperate. I remember speaking to my mum on the phone saying how I really needed God to tell me if chamomile was helpful or a hindrance for me, and to show me if there was something else that would help, and to show me the reason why I had gotten worse again. No sooner had I hung up the phone and walked down the hallway I heard a man’s quiet still voice speak into my mind. This is what I heard, “Chamomile helps you but also hinders. It is your hormones. Oestrogen is very low.” I knew that this was God speaking to me as my spirit witnessed with His Spirit and I had a ‘peace and knowing’. He had shown me an answer to what I had been seeking. Chamomile is good for many things but was making my menopause symptoms worse because it was blocking my already low oestrogen which meant my body wasn’t fully utilising the little amount of oestrogen I had left. Through studying I had learned that some phytoestrogens (plant oestrogens) can mimic oestrogen and be used by the body as oestrogen, whilst others block oestrogen from being used by the body. Phytoestrogens that block oestrogen would be good for one who has oestrogen dominant problems but not good for someone with already low oestrogen.
After I had received this word, I came to the kitchen pondering what God had said. After I made myself a drink I sat down at my table and I said out loud, “Lord what can I use to soothe my stomach like Chamomile but also doesn’t lower my oestrogen”? Immediately the word ‘Fennel’ came into my mind. I headed straight to my computer and researched it and I learned that it is good for menopausal woman and mimics oestrogen. I learned that it was great for anxiety and depression, lowers blood pressure, enhances digestion, is anti-inflammatory and great for muscle spasms and cramps and also for hot flashes. This meant that everything I was suffering this herb could be helpful for.
Without any more questioning and believing this was God I purchased some organic fennel teabags and began drinking two cups daily – one in the morning and one in the evening. As I started drinking this tea, I noted that my reflux was becoming even worse. It was touted for helping acid reflux, but I was waking in the night and experiencing acid squirting into my mouth like a drinking fountain. The burning was awful. I googled this and found that fennel increases digestive juices and bile which is why it helps with indigestion and those with low stomach acid. Many with acid reflux problems have low stomach acid and cannot digest food which causes the reflux, whilst others have either too much acid, a weak valve or a hiatal hernia causing the acid reflux. I obviously did not have low acid problems and the increase was making it worse. The muscle spasms however were much better in my entire body, and I had not once had the spasms in my sternum, back and chest since starting it. I also noted that my thinking was much clearer and less anxious. I had way more energy and no more chronic fatigue crashes. The hot flashes and night sweats were so much better, but I noted that the adrenaline surges and heart palpitations were worse.
What was I to do – stop or keep going hoping it would all normalise? I reasoned with myself; God told me to take it so I will continue. I took this herb for two weeks and during that time also started developing asthma like symptoms and a dry cough (possibly from all the reflux). I sought God on the matter and immediately I had a vision of someone having a piggyback ride. I asked God what this vision meant, and these words flitted through my mind, “The enemy has piggy-backed on the end of God’s word. If there is a significant break/pause between hearing from Me and receiving another word, then you will need to use the same tests you always do to discern, as you did for the first part of the word. Do not assume because I spoke earlier on that same subject that it is also Me who responds when you ask Me a question later about that word. Piggy-backing – the enemy likes to piggyback upon My words because these words are more readily accepted. Test everything.”
Was this God? I didn’t receive a ‘peace and knowing’ so wasn’t sure as to the source of the voice. I went off the fennel and all the symptoms fennel helped returned. Over the course of a couple months, I went on it, and then again off it. It helped, it hindered. I tried different kinds of fennel (wild and sweet fennel) and tried mixing it with other teas to find that it helped many areas but also hindered other areas at the same time. Feeling really saddened and not knowing what to do I sought God again and this time I got that knowing where my spirit witnesses with His Spirit and this is what I heard, “One of the biggest deceptions of the enemy is to piggyback God’s word. His Rhema (spoken) and Logos (written) Word. The enemy can quote Scriptures and give you deceptive instruction. God can speak and later the enemy can add to His word to lead you astray. Everything God speaks should be confirmed by the principle of His word. As you spend more time in His presence seeking Him the gift of discernment enables you to discern between His voice and any other voice. If there is a significant time lapse or pause between God speaking and the next instruction/word or picture, then it should again be tested. Test everything.”
I then knew that the word ‘fennel’ that had dropped into my mind was not from God at all. Although this herb is wonderful and can help many ailments, the increase in digestive juices was not what I needed. I also learned through researching that this herb was a cardiac and adrenal stimulant which was also the last thing I needed. I also noted that some newer studies showed that fennel lowered estrogen and increased progesterone so that could also be what was happening. The most concerning however was that I found fennel contains a carcinogen called estragole which when over consumed could be cancer causing. As I pondered why it took so long for God to confirm that fennel was not for me, He spoke this to me, “Would you have been satisfied if you didn’t at least give it a good go’? I laughed as He spoke this to me. He knows me only too well, and He was indeed right. I would have not been satisfied unless I had tried it and given it a good go and found out for myself. Jesus learned by ‘that which He suffered’ and we are no different. God allows the enemy to overplay his hand so that we can learn and teach what we have learned and avoid making mistakes for next time.
(PRAYER) - “Father God I repent for all the times I blamed You when things went wrong because I followed a wrong spirit believing it was You. Teach me how to discern You and Your voice and please always reveal to me every time I have been deceived by a false spirit. If a demon tries to piggyback your word to Me please increase my discernment and wisdom to know when this is the case. Help me to always remember these things You have taught me when I am seeking or hearing from You. I pray that You would break off and heal all negative effects from me that came from following the wrong voice. Thank You Lord Jesus, Amen”.
When God had finished teaching me about piggybacking, He gave me a comforting word and vision in regard to my healing. I saw a vision of an angel with wings. I knew they were my wings. I then saw myself with wings. This is what I heard; “You are about to fly – higher than you have before in God. It doesn’t matter that you are not perfect. I have chosen you not because of what you are but because of ‘Whose’ you are. You belong to Jesus – you are His bride. You continued to believe in Him no matter what your circumstances. This is what I require of you to get you to the next level in Me. You believed, you listened and enabled Me to remove those things that block you from receiving all I have for you. You obeyed! Faith is believing and your works show your faith, and by this your faith is made perfect.”
Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? (James 2:22 NKJV).
By Tania Francis