The Apostle Paul told us fear is not from God.
2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
BibleGateway
Anything can be a distraction. And tiny fears can blossom while we still think we’re managing things very well. It all relates to perspective.
Another round of tests.
Last week was a good example for me. On Tuesday, I had an MRI of my heart. In fact, it was my first MRI. If you’ve had an MRI, you may already have an idea of my feelings. That whole issue of being placed in a very fixed position while all around you this over-sized threshing machine is beating, and clanging is not an experience I relished or care to repeat. Meanwhile, you’re being told to move or not move according to what’s required to get the best picture. Am I a fan? No. Did it hurt? No. Was I fearful? Well maybe…
As I explained to some of our men’s group, ‘I finally realized my “anticipation” was more accurately called fear. I know that’s not of God. So, I had to consciously lay it aside. It was Psalms 23 for me.’ Which is to say, I gave the situation over to God, remembering that I’ve never heard of an MRI machine suddenly crushing anyone or going awry and doing something crazy. Any fear was unfounded, and if fear is not of God, why would I hang on to it? The only thing out of line were my thoughts. For me quoting Psalm 23 acknowledged God’s role in my situation, guaranteed me this was in His hands and allowed me to relax.
And then on Thursday, I had a bone marrow biopsy. I’ve talked about this before, so I won’t go into details. But, again, this is not my favorite procedure. When you think of removing a sample of bone marrow, which means penetrating the bone, you know it isn’t a picnic. But it honestly wasn’t that bad. I had turned my fears and concerns over to God. We took care of business, and I came home. A little sore, but in good spirits.
Which brings up a question.
At what point do we cross the line between trusting God for our safety and trusting the engineering, installation, and maintenance of a piece of equipment? Or salvation via a medical procedure? Or protection with a weapon?
That’s really a rhetorical question. The answer will be determined, in most cases, by what’s going on. By how threatened you feel from the situation. And just how strong you are in your faith.
If the threat is imminent and you’re prepared, you may respond better. Jesus told us in Luke 6, that what comes from our mouths originates in the heart. We choose whether to operate in divine provision or struggle through on our own.
Hint: we don’t do so well depending on ourselves. God has a better plan.
Luke 6:45 (ESV)
45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
BibleGateway
Be careful what you’re harboring in your heart. If you entertain the latest bad news and all the bad stories you’ve heard about people with your condition, you’re in BIG trouble. You’re on a crumbling foundation and you won’t be prepared for what may come.
Does God care?
Does God still protect us in those situations, that we willingly got ourselves into and didn’t prepare for?
The answer is “yes”. Because he still loves us.
Ephesians 2:8 (ESV)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
Bible Gateway
In this scripture, saved in the Greek is sṓzō. That is tosay He saves us from sin, sickness, and mental torment. He cares about who we are and how we feel. And he cares about those crazy unsubstantiated thoughts we let run amuck in our heads. That’s the mental torment he delivers us from.
Much like my concern over the MRI equipment. He knew it wasn’t going to suddenly collapse on me, in spite of my unreasonable thoughts. So, he calmed my mind to eliminate the concern.
He cares because we care. Even when we may be irrational.
Unfortunately, we still live in a fallen world. Accidents do happen, even to good people. That’s why we stay mindful of God and follow His direction. And that’s why we cling to His provision.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
BibleGateway
The good news…
I’m thankful to have found favor on this journey I’ve been on. I would have been fine skipping some parts, but I’ve learned from it all, and I’ve seen God’s hand in so many ways throughout this experience.
I got the results this week from the bone marrow biopsy. The results were negative for residual disease. i.e., there is no more leukemia. For that I thank God. Now we prepare for the transplant so there is no concern of the disease recurring. I’ll tentatively enter the hospital on June 8, if things go as planned.
In the meantime, know that God loves you. He has provided for you, and you only have to choose to accept His provision. It really is that simple. We have no reason to fear.
In His Love,
Wayne
PS: if you’re new to my story, start here.
