In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Psalm 62:7-8.
When my doctor found four skin cancers on my head and arm a couple of weeks back, two of them nasty looking, we organised for him to remove them and booked Procedure Room One for 9:30 am Thursday 11.11.21, Armistice Day.
This appointment would have been an uncertain time for some. But, from the day the results came in, I began using a natural anti-cancer protocol I had heard of years ago and believed worked. I painted my wounds several times a day with Iodine in the faith of reducing in size and eventually killing off the cancers. I had told people about the concept but never needed to use it myself until now.
I looked like the creature from the black lagoon (an old movie) as I painted each area up to ten times daily for a fortnight. But it produced results. When the doctor looked at the wound sites on 11/11, he said of the first one, "Well, that one looks healed", and the next one he left as well. Moving to the third and fourth, he injected some local anaesthetic and removed far smaller cancers than anticipated. If I had postponed my procedure an extra fortnight, I think the Iodine would have the two remaining cancers.
From photos of other people I had seen years ago, my faith and hope in the Iodine's ability were high, and I have never really been scared by skin cancers. When it came to my turn, I used it in faith. My fear was gone, and my expectation of success was high.
This example brings us to the uncertain times of today and our faith in Jesus Christ. How much fear of tomorrow do the cracks in your faith let through? A little, none, or quite a lot?
We don't need to be subject to fear when our lives are in Jesus Christ, not the deep residing fear that gets into our bones and drives our decisions and actions in the wrong direction, always running from some anxiety. God ploughed out those negative roots and replanted the ground with love, peace, hope, and an understanding far beyond the human plane.
Throughout the Bible, believers from different eras experienced times of uncertainty. Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham (How'd you like God to ask you to kill your only child?), Lot (Imagine his sorrowful thoughts of his wife once they reached the safe cave?), Naomi and Ruth (both women left everything behind. Naomi on the way out of Israel and Ruth and Naomi on the return trip.). Once saved, Priscilla and Aquila's lives were all days of uncertainty.
All believers, every one of us, must go through times of uncertainty. We don't know the future, but we have a God who does. Therefore, our trust must be in Him. When we put our trust in Him, we grow in certainty. We still don't know the future but have moved from desperate hope to confidence.
In those times, growth happens. Every follower grows in faith and hope during tough times when we trust our Saviour. By faith and trust, we can replace bewilderment with assurance. We might be initially stunned when things come upon us, but we cannot forget that the precious Holy Spirit is within us with all His attributes of love and peace. His stillness in times of trouble is right here. We can ignore it and remain fearful or let it flow, stilling all our anxieties, wiping all our tears, soothing all our pains, and placing our feet on surer ground.
With the Iodine, I would only need to check my head and arm every few days for shrinkage of the skin cancers. Each time they were smaller until a couple became non-existent. I didn't need to panic-check every hour, as we sometimes do with prayers saying, "why hasn't God answered yet?"
Because of my compromised immune system due to the kidney transplant, I am susceptible to more skin cancers; therefore, this protocol will become a way of life. It was a practical lesson for me, and as weird as it sounds, I enjoyed making skin cancers run for their lives instead of the other way around. With prayer and durable faith, we can make all fears run from us similarly.
Keep your faith in the Lord strong and your trust in His power and purposes high. Pray, read, and believe!
Today's prayer: Dear Lord, these uncertain times have seen my faith and trust challenged. I admit I have feared occasionally, but I know I shouldn't have. Please help me be ready for all uncertainties with confidence that overrides all fears and a trust that you are in complete control of all that goes on in this world.
Photo by Nik Shuliahin
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