The Rocks

 There are so many folks who began encouraging me from the first day. They were praying about the biopsy and were interested in knowing what the outcome was from it.

One of them was Debbie Mathews. She  has been a constant flow of encouragement since this all started. We began telling some of our friends and asking for prayer. My Sisterhood leaders knew I was going in for a biopsy and had been checking to see what the outcome was. Trying to tell folks all the information was exhausting! I am so thankful for their support and willingness to call, text or email and want to keep all in the loop as they pray for me. I don't want any of my encouragers to think they are a bother to me. There are no words to express the thanks for their prayers, kind words, calls, text and emails. Only the Lord knows and can bless them !!

Debbie and I had talked on Thursday about our faith and how God tested us to see if we believed what we say believe. He has asked us some hard questions as we have come into very difficult situations. "Do you really believe who you say I am ?"

This is a devotion by Oswald Chambers, from August 29th. Just two days after the diagnosis and our discussion.  This was the beginning of many to come---devotionals, songs, scriptures, enouraging words. Isn't this just like GOD?  Only He could make all this work together!!

The Unsurpassed Intimacy of Tested Faith

Jesus said to her, ’Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’ —John 11:40

Every time you venture out in your life of faith, you will find something in your circumstances that, from a commonsense standpoint, will flatly contradict your faith. But common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense. In fact, they are as different as the natural life and the spiritual. Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common sense cannot trust Him? Can you venture out with courage on the words of Jesus Christ, while the realities of your commonsense life continue to shout, “It’s all a lie”? When you are on the mountaintop, it’s easy to say, “Oh yes, I believe God can do it,” but you have to come down from the mountain to the demon-possessed valley and face the realities that scoff at your Mount-of-Transfiguration belief (see Luke 9:28-42). Every time my theology becomes clear to my own mind, I encounter something that contradicts it. As soon as I say, “I believe ’God shall supply all [my] need,’ ” the testing of my faith begins (Philippians 4:19). When my strength runs dry and my vision is blinded, will I endure this trial of my faith victoriously or will I turn back in defeat?

Faith must be tested, because it can only become your intimate possession through conflict. What is challenging your faith right now? The test will either prove your faith right, or it will kill it. Jesus said, “Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me” Matthew 11:6). The ultimate thing is confidence in Jesus. “We have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end . . .” (Hebrews 3:14). Believe steadfastly on Him and everything that challenges you will strengthen your faith. There is continual testing in the life of faith up to the point of our physical death, which is the last great test. Faith is absolute trust in God— 

 The calm I continued to experience could only come from the Lord Himself. What an expression of the peace that only He can bring into a time like this. I praise Him!!