Judges 6 is one of my favourite chapters in Scripture. In 2011 the Lord used the above verse so powerfully in my life. Can I tell you a story?
Following a year of back-and-forth visits to my family Doctor because of tests that revealed what was thought to be a "simple cyst", finally a decision was made that I needed to see a specialist as the growth of this mass had increased enough to warrant more concern. This specialist connected me with a surgeon who in turn wanted me to see an oncologist.
To make a long story short, the outcome was that I would have pretty extensive surgery to remove this tumor. Very early on the morning of the operation my husband and I headed to the hospital out of town. It was shortly after 3am, and as my husband drove, my cell phone began to ring. My twin sister Japhia had awakened early to spend time with the Lord and pray for me. Her early morning Bible reading had deeply spoken to her heart, and she felt it was a word of encouragement she needed to share with me.
Before I share the rest of the story, you need to know one thing. I was more afraid of dying on the operating table than I was to hear the word "cancer". It wasn't that I was uncertain as to where I would spend eternity if I died, but years prior my family and I had walked a difficult road with my dad because of a hospital error and I was frightened something similar could happen to me. No one but God knew that I was harbouring this fear. Now, back to my sister's phone call.
Japhia excitedly began to encourage me with her reading from the Book of Judges. That morning, instead of asking God to speak to her heart, she had prayed that He would give her a Word for me. She began reading to me over the phone from Judges 6. As I listened to the verses she was sharing, suddenly I heard, "'It is all right', the LORD replied. 'Do not be afraid. You will not die.'"
As my sister continued reading, I interrupted her. "What did you say?" I inquired. She read verse 23 again and then chuckled, "Well, I didn't think you were going to die."
I cannot tell you the peace that flooded my heart at that moment. God didn't guarantee that I wouldn't hear a cancer diagnosis. He didn't promise that I wouldn't have to go through chemotherapy treatments. He didn't spare me from losing my hair. He promised me everything would eventually be alright and I would not die. He spoke the assurance of life to my heart. That was the very word I needed to move forward in truth for the journey ahead.
I later discovered that this verse that meant so much to me wasn't the verse my sister had called to share. What had excited her heart that morning was a few verses earlier. In response to the sign Gideon requested, scripture tells us the angel of the LORD "consumed all" (vs 21). My sister was confident that God would "consume all" my cancer, and although my original diagnosis of stage 3, grade 3 ovarian cancer had a bleak prognosis, I have experienced that truth now for 13 years! Praising the Lord for how specifically He speaks into our lives, calming our hearts and providing all we need.
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