From the Pit to the Promised Land: How Jesus Healed a Broken Back and a Shattered Soul

 Rob Decker - Testimony for Jesus

I was scrolling through Instagram recently, just checking in on the community, when I came across a video of a man lifting heavy weights. Now, usually, that's just another day in the fitness world, but there was something different about this brother. As I watched Rob Decker move with strength and purpose, I knew I was looking at a living, breathing miracle. You see, the world—and the doctors—told Rob he would never lift weights again. They told him he’d be lucky to even walk.

But we serve a God who has the final word over every medical report and every court summons.

If you’ve ever felt like you hit rock bottom, only to look down and realize the floor just fell out from under you, then this story is for you. Maybe you’re struggling with an addiction that feels like a lead weight on your soul, or perhaps you’ve been betrayed by the very people who were supposed to love you. You might be sitting in a "pit" right now, wondering if Jesus even sees you. I’m here to tell you, through the incredible testimony of my friend Rob Decker, that the higher the mountain, the greater the glory when God moves it.

In this post, we’re going to look at how a life spiraling through drugs, alcohol, and a suicide attempt was not only saved but completely redeemed. We’ll explore the power of supernatural healing and the critical role of forgiveness in the restoration process. If you want to dig deeper and go higher in your walk, you need to see how Jesus can take the broken pieces of a shattered life and build a temple of praise.

Introduction: The Day the Bottom Fell Out

Imagine standing in a three-story loft. The air is thick with the smell of stale beer and the piercing sound of sirens growing louder in the distance. Across from you stands someone you thought you loved, but she just looked you in the eye and told you she called the police with a lie—a lie that could put you in prison for the rest of your life. In that split second, the weight of a lifetime of rejection, addiction, and "dying young" mentality culminates in a single, desperate decision.

Rob Decker didn't just fall; he jumped. Headfirst through a closed glass window.

He hit the ground with a force that should have ended it all. A collapsed lung, a shattered arm, a broken wrist, and a severed L2 vertebrae. As he lay on the concrete, gasping for shallow, agonizing breaths, he looked up at that broken window and asked God, "Why?" Why let him live just to face rape and attempted murder charges from his hospital bed?

This is the point of "agitation" many of us face. We think we’ve reached the end of our rope, and then the rope snaps. . Rob was about to find out that when you have nothing left but your broken body, you have everything you need for a visitation from the King of Kings.

Main Message: A Heritage of Brokenness and a God of Mercy

To understand the miracle, we have to understand the mess. Rob’s story didn't start at that window; it started with a generational cycle of abuse and trauma. His mother had been through the fire—rape, foster homes, and domestic violence. When Rob was just a little boy in kindergarten, he came home with a graduation certificate only to find out the man he called "Dad" wasn't his biological father. His grandmother didn't even want him to have the family last name because he wasn't "genetically" one of them.

Can you imagine that? A five-year-old boy, feeling the sting of rejection before he even knows how to tie his shoes. But even then, the Holy Spirit was planting a seed. Rob remembers walking down the street after that revelation and saying to himself, "It’s okay, because God is my father and He will take care of me."

A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. (Psalm 68:5 KJV)

Despite that early spark of faith, the "medication" of the world eventually took over. As a teenager, Rob turned to alcohol to numb the reality of a toxic home life. What started as "fun" quickly became a necessity. Marijuana led to acid, mushrooms, and eventually cocaine. He was a 215-pound muscular powerhouse on the outside, but inside, he was a hollow shell, convinced he wouldn't live to see thirty.

When he finally tried to give his life to Christ at a Bible study, the enemy doubled down. He got back into a toxic relationship with a woman involved in the escort business. He wanted to help her, to save her, but he was still bound by his own addictions. This led to that fateful Memorial Day weekend where the lies were told, the sirens wailed, and Rob took that leap out of the third-story window.

The Visitation in the Midst of Pain

Fast forward to the hospital room. Rob is shackled to the bed. He has external fixators holding his arm together, tubes coming out of his neck, and detectives standing over him, hitting him with a million-dollar bail. He was at the absolute zero of human existence.

One night, the pain was so intense that no amount of medication could touch it. The room was a chaotic mess of glaring lights and beeping machines. Suddenly, a feeling of peace consumed him from head to toe. It was like a physical hug from God. The room went quiet. The pain subsided. In that stillness, Rob heard three specific, powerful promises from the Lord:

1. The charges will be dropped.
2. Your bills will be paid.
3. You will walk again.

Now, the doctors were saying the exact opposite. They told him he’d never walk. The legal system was saying the opposite—they were ready to bury him. But when God speaks a word, it carries more weight than the "facts" of the world. Within days, the young lady showed up at the hospital, her conscience presumably pricked, and the officers began to see the holes in the story. Shortly after, the charges were indeed dropped.

Rob began the grueling process of learning to walk. He told me about the sheer agony of that first attempt to stand. He could only think of one thing: Jesus on the cross. He pictured the stripes on the back of our Lord, the total annihilation of His physical form for our sake.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5 KJV)

Rob dragged that left foot with a holy ambition. He wasn't just walking for himself; he was walking to prove that his God was a healer. He even walked into a wall because he was trying to go too fast! That’s the kind of fire we need in our spiritual walk—a hunger to move forward that outweighs the fear of the pain.

Personal Reflections: Forgiveness and the Spirit of Addiction

In my own journey, which I discuss in my podcast and on ConradRocks.net, I’ve seen how closely the physical and spiritual are intertwined. Rob realized that his physical healing was tied to a spiritual act: forgiveness. He had to forgive the woman who falsely accused him. He had to forgive his mother for her struggles and his father for the rejection.

Forgiveness isn't a feeling; it’s a legal transaction in the spirit. When Rob let go of that bitterness, the "chains" of his addiction began to fall off one by one.

We also talked about the nature of addiction itself. Rob pointed out something fascinating—the word "spirits" is used for alcohol for a reason. In the Greek, the word related to drugs is pharmakeia, which translates to witchcraft or sorcery. When we indulge in these things, we are essentially performing a form of witchcraft on ourselves, inviting dark entities into our lives to take the wheel.

If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. (Genesis 4:7 KJV)

I’ve seen this in my own life and in those I’ve helped through Overcoming Night Terror. When you black out from drinking, it’s like you’ve stepped out of the driver’s seat of your own life and let a demon take the wheel. But the Good News is that the Holy Spirit is the only "Spirit" we need to fill that void. Rob has been sober for over five years now—not through willpower, but through total deliverance.

Biblical References: The Joseph Connection

Rob’s story reminds me so much of Joseph in the Book of Genesis. Think about it. Joseph was rejected by his brothers (his "genetics"). He was falsely accused of rape by Potiphar's wife. He was thrown into a pit and then a prison. He reached a point where it looked like his life was over.

But God used the pit to prepare Joseph for the palace.

Rob realized that all those years of dysfunction, the broken back, and even the false accusations were being "flipped" by the ultimate Redeemer. God took a man who was supposed to be dead or in prison and made him a personal trainer, a husband, and a father to a son named Caleb—named after the man who followed the Lord wholeheartedly and entered the Promised Land.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

Rob and his wife got married on March 16th (3/16) to honor this very truth. They took communion at their wedding, signaling that their union was built on the broken body and shed blood of Christ. That is how you break a generational curse!

Key Takeaways

• Rock Bottom is a Foundation: Your lowest point is often where God does His deepest work.
• The Word Over the World: What God says about your situation matters more than what the doctors or the "experts" say.
• Forgiveness is Fuel: You cannot fully heal while holding onto the poison of bitterness.
• Addiction is Spiritual Warfare: Victory over drugs and alcohol requires a spiritual solution, not just a physical one.
• Redemption is Personal: God doesn't just save you; He restores your family, your health, and your purpose.

Conclusion and Call to Action

Rob Decker’s testimony is a megaphone for the mercy of Jesus Christ. From jumping out of a third-story window to lifting weights and raising a family, Rob is proof that there is no "bottom" too deep for the reach of God. If you are struggling today, if you feel accused, broken, or bound, I want you to know that the same Jesus who met Rob in that hospital room is waiting to meet you right where you are.

You don’t have to fix yourself first. Rob couldn't even stand up, let alone fix his life. He just gave God his "yes," and the Lord did the heavy lifting.

If this story touched you, I encourage you to share it with someone who needs a message of hope. We live in a broken world, and people need to know that the Redeemer is still on the throne.

Action Items

• Identify Your "Pit": Write down the one area of your life where you feel most defeated or accused.
• Release Forgiveness: This week, pray specifically for someone who has wronged or betrayed you. Ask God to bless them and release you from the debt.
• Audit Your "Spirits": If you are struggling with substances, acknowledge the spiritual component. Find a Bible-believing brother or sister to pray for your deliverance.
• Speak the Word: Find a KJV verse that contradicts your current negative circumstances (like Isaiah 53:5 for sickness) and speak it aloud daily.
• Share the Hope: Send this post to one person you know who is currently going through a "rock bottom" season.

Check out Rob's Book God's Awning.