(Read Psalm 121)
“With three weeks left on a mission trip to Belize, I felt a lump in my throat,” Mike revealed. “I knew I couldn’t do anything about it until I got home. And over two months, I had multiple tests, but they all kept coming back inconclusive.”
What started as a chance to catch up with a friend I hadn’t seen in years turned out to be the most uplifting day I’ve had all year. My wife and I had only been church members for a few months when we learned that our builder Mike was speaking to the congregation about Habitat for Humanity. My wife and I were astonished — we love our house, but many neighbors have had different experiences. When he got up on stage, we looked at each other and said, “Wait! That’s not him.” It was Mike, the president of our county’s Habitat chapter.
A few weeks later, a deacon from our church called me to tell me that he recommended me to serve on the Habitat Board. I prayed about it for an entire week and then accepted the nomination. I formally met Mike at our orientation and served with him on the Board for three years. Habitat is a giving and kindhearted organization full of a solid Christian spirit. As president, Mike and the Chairman did so much to set the tone, communicate with the public, and create a vision for the future.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28-30
The promise from God in the letter to the Romans doesn’t mean that everything is good. Many things aren’t. We often question where God is in the middle of our crises because we have a limited view of things in the here and now. But God exists in the eternal. No matter our circumstances, God works for the good of all who love Him and works for us according to His purpose. He will finish what He started in us and make us more like Jesus.
“My mom and I used to walk to church as a kid,” Mike unloaded, “but my dad didn’t join us. As a 12-year-old, I accepted Christ as my Savior. The Pastor asked me what made me think I was ready to accept Christ?” Wow, I thought. That’s an intimidating question for a young person who has just professed their faith. While it may have been off-putting to some, it was not to Mike. “’God is in my heart,’ I replied. Looking back, I didn’t have a big grasp of my relationship with Jesus then.” He continued, “Then, by the time I was a teen, and in my 20’s, I stopped going to church.”
“I would cringe when my wife wanted to go to church every week. The Pastor would preach fire and brimstone from the Bible, and I didn’t know as much about the Bible, so it was all above me. Then we got a new pastor with whom I’m still friends with today.” I could see Mike’s mood change, like clouds drifting away from a rainstorm. God’s plans and progress were at work. Mike continued, “He was so relatable. He quoted TV shows and other topics from our daily lives that he would tie in with Scripture. It made the Bible so much more understandable too. I couldn’t wait to go to church!”
“I heard from a church friend that my name was put on a list to be a deacon.” Mike smiled, almost laughing. “I told another deacon; I’ve never even considered something like this. Leave my name on the list. If the Congregation thinks I should be there, I’ll do it. I served three three-year terms as a deacon.”
“I’m not where I want to be, but I’m closer than I’ve ever been.”
I wasn’t sure how much Mike would share with me about his cancer journey, but I could tell at this point that he was all in. “What does inconclusive mean?” I asked. It meant that his results were neither negative nor positive.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
Psalm 121:1
Mike continued to describe his powerful story. “During my cancer treatment, I went through three strong feelings: anxiety, patience, and faith.” He described his anxiety as being through the roof. His blood pressure had gotten dangerously high — 180/114 at one point.
In Psalm 121, David asked where his help would come from, but he knew the answer. No matter what we’re going through, God’s presence, plans, and promises will bring goodness to us in one form or another.
“Finally, after two months, I got to see the head of ENT at UNC,” Mike added. “The doc told me he was putting me to sleep for the procedure and would biopsy everything! They found my cancer, but it was not in my lymph nodes, and the pet scan showed I was clean everywhere else. The doctor said that as far as cancer goes, it’s the best prognosis. A 90% cure rate.”
“During my testing and diagnosis, my anxiety was awful. My dad died of cancer, so I was especially bothered.” Mike’s blood pressure was so high for his biopsy that he had to sign a release for them to go through with it. “I had faith in the Lord that he would care for me. After the procedure, my blood pressure was lower, it stayed low through my cancer treatments and is still back to normal.”
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
Psalm 121: 2-4
Mike told me that Psalm 121 comes to his mind when he thinks about his cancer struggle. He told me that it also gave him patience during the entirety.
“My wife said she would take me to my treatments every day, but I knew that wouldn’t work with her job. I told her that my friends had volunteered. They volunteered to pray for me and volunteered to help me through this.” He was visibly choked up. He paused a few times, needing time to continue. “I could see my faith shining through this.”
Mike needed patience and reassurance to get through each procedure and from appointment to appointment. Anyone undergoing ongoing cancer tests, chemotherapy, and radiation, needs reassurance. In Psalm 121, we are reassured that God will not let us slip. Our feet won’t move because if we ask, He won’t let them. It’s natural to doubt how and when God will rescue us. John the Baptist had doubts; sometimes, even the prophets had doubts. When done with a clean heart, having doubts doesn’t remove our faith; it reconnects it. God’s protection put a wall around Mike. His faith gave him patience.
“I called friends to get me to my chemo and radiation treatments,” Mike explained. He handed me his phone, and I watched him go through one. It was quite a journey. Each of his treatments was more than an hour’s drive each way. I saw Mike’s video of him ringing the bell and banging the gong when his treatment courses were finished.
Getting a bit emotional again, Mike continued, “The faith my friends showed was unbelievable. I had different friends take me every day except for the day my wife took me. There was never a doubt that someone was there for me. The Lord provided these people in my life. He is the healer of all.”
The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
Psalm 121:5-8
“At the beginning of this, I laid my life at the Lord’s feet. I turned it over to the Lord. Friends and people at the hospital would tell me they couldn’t believe my faith either. They were amazed at how I cheered people up. How I prayed for others.”
One of Mike’s spiritual gifts is encouragement, whether he knows it or not. He lifts everyone he encounters. “When I meet others who need help, I tell them to keep praying; their prayers will get answered.” Mike has an inspiring effect on people everywhere. “One of my friends told me I had people praying for me all over the place, and I didn’t even know many of them.” Getting moved again, he continued, “I was on multiple church’s prayer lists, even a list from a church in Belize where I serve on missions.”
Summing up his story Mike said, “It’s important to remember to have faith in God when things are bad and when they’re going well. We need to remember to thank the Lord. I’ve been really blessed.”
As Mike said earlier, he might not have reached his destination yet, but he’s far from where he started.
There’s no doubt about it
I’m on my way home
I’m not yet where I’m going
But I’m a long way from where I was
I hear a choir of angels
Cheering me on
I’m not yet where I’m going
But I’m a long way from where I was
No Doubt About It — We the Kingdom
Key Application:
With each day, we are one step closer to meeting Jesus. If we’re not facing it now, anxiety will come into our lives at one time or another. Read Psalm 121. Let God’s word give you patience and faith to stare down whatever stands in front of you. Pray. Let God’s promise keep your feet from slipping and “watch over you now and forever more.”
Where else in your life can you live out the teachings of Christ? Look for next week’s Devotion.