Surprising Treasure (cont)
A couple treatments later, the pain continuing to escalate, and my cry to God, yet again.
“Are you sure we should keep going with the treatments?…I don’t think so!!!
God- The pain is unbearable. Please talk to me.”
“Psalm 103:1-5” was my answer.
1 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
2 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
3 He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
4 He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
5 He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
He had me at, He forgives all my sins. I know where I came from.
He forgave me. If He doesn’t do any more than that, my cup still overflows…
But He did do more… He’s extravagant and He provides for all our needs!
Praising God is such a powerful weapon. I am so thankful for All God has done for me.
Surprising Treasure: Thankfulness goes a long way in reducing pain and causing joy.
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More Surprising Treasures (continued)
People say they have to “fight for their lives” concerning business deals or relationship issues or other things. But, when you are literally fighting for your life, the realization that life is not a “dress rehearsal” can become very large inside the person and those closest to him or her, who is fighting.
Because I dealt with so much fear, I had to “find” God and find Him fast, over and over again; sometimes, many times per
day. This one day, I was dealing with the thoughts that I had in the past. Thoughts about the judgment I have had against myself and others. The explanations I have given when someone’s prayers were not answered the way we thought they should be…you know what I’m talking about…explanations that go something like this: Maybe they weren’t in faith…you never know what’s in a man’s heart… OR They should have done this or that…. Please, don’t deny that you have made earthly excuses for why prayers have not been answered. I’ve done it for years. Boy, have I had to repent for that. So, with this mindset, (prior to repentance, because I still didn’t know I needed to repent) God showed me Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They refused to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s gods. Here is what they said:
Dan. 3:16-18 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us[a] from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Then I looked at Hebrew 11, the great hall of faith.
Hebrew 11:39-40
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
“What? They died in faith without inheriting the promises? You mean, God, I have judged incorrectly? Please forgive me.”
What these two scriptures talk to me about is that the testimony of all saints is that God is still their God regardless of the outcome of circumstances. That even through the fire, the three men didn’t bow. God was still their God. All those great men and woman of faith, though they didn’t inherit the promises of God here on this earth, they kept God as their God. Many of us have had to face off with painful loses. I admire those who remain faithful to God, inspite of the fear, the pain and the confusion that they have lived through. Therein lies the true testimony.
So, I decided that if I’m living, I’m living by faith and if I’m dying, I’m dying in faith. The common denominator is faith. Only faith pleases God. I was and still am fighting by faith. This is my life.
By the way, the only scripture I took with me to the hospital for the mastectomy came out of Daniel 3. I would walk through the fire and not be burned. Ironically, the cauterizer was left on during surgery. It rolled under my upper back, the same side as the mastectomy, and gave me an inch by two inch, third degree burn. But, months later, I was reminded that though I was burned, literally, God was and is still my God.
May we all remain faithful until the end.
Surprising Treasure: The outcome of a circumstance does not necessarily prove we are or are not in faith. The proof of our faith is between God and us…no one else’s business…
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Surprising Treasures (continued)
As I was going through the diagnosis process, 5 surgeries and 8 chemo treatments, I found myself frustrated. But, it caused me to pursue God, for understanding why I couldn’t “just be healed” as I have seen other’s healing.
Of course, God answered. He’s good like that!
A very wise man was speaking about this scripture:
Amplified Bible Eph. 6:13
Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].
I have lived out many circumstances I have faced, by “standing” in faith. And, many times, the results were not what I “standing” for. After I heard this scripture, which I have read and heard many times before, I began to understand how most of the time God encourages walk by faith or to fight the good fight of faith. These scriptures are talking about action.
We live in such a microwave society that we want to pray a prayer and expect results. That is not how wars are won. God instructs us that ONLY when we have done all, do we stand.
All of the sudden, it made sense to go to the doctors, to have surgery, to go through treatments, to eat and drink what the nutritionist prescribed for me, to detox my body, to exercise, to continue seeking God and using my faith, to attack the faulty thoughts I had disregarded for years.
For most of us, it is not time to stand in faith. Even now, almost two years after the diagnosis, I have to fight. Though I have been declared cancer-free for 18 months, I still have to fight. I have yet to do all, so it is not time for me to stand.
And let me say this in conclusion. Many have applauded my “fight”. This is very difficult for me to accept. Those closest to me know the lows I have hit during the process. All I knew was to keep my knee bowed and keep finding scriptures, my five smooth stones, so I could stay in faith. With that, God provided my oncologist, who was just voted the number one oncologist in the world. Yes, God provided me with the best of the best. He provided a nutritionist who has successfully helped many cancer patients to beat cancer. He provided me with the information I needed so I could understand how debilitating toxic thinking is.
I conclude with a scripture my pastor’s wife shared with me.
2 Corinthians 1:12 The Message (I wrote it in first person form.)
12Now that the worst is over, I’m pleased I can report that I’ve come out of this with conscience and faith intact, and can face the world—and even more importantly, face you with my head held high. But it wasn’t by any fancy footwork on my part. It was God who kept me focused on him, uncompromised.
May all the glory go to God, our creator. I am nothing without Him.
Pam (2nd from the left)