I had my 18 month Oncology check-up earlier this week. Though the news was all good, there was this one little test the Oncologist wished for me to undergo…Just to make sure…
Suddenly I found myself faced with a decision: Do I get upset that there might be a slight possibility that cancer has returned? Or do I praise God, give the problem to Him, and gladly surrender to His will?
As I was struggling with this, God gave me a story from Numbers 10. The Children of Israel have just been given their first set of “marching orders” after having constructed the tabernacle in the wilderness. As they set out, Moses turned to Hobab, his brother-in-law, and asked him to travel with them.
And as I contemplated this story, I realized that God was extending just such an invitation to me. He was saying, in essence, “Lyn, My path is going to veer in the direction of the cancer valley again, and I’m asking you to join Me.”
Well, this Hobab wasn’t all that excited about the idea of becoming a wandering nomad. He says: “I will not go, but I will depart to my own land and to my relatives.” (Num 10:30, NKJV)
Like Hobab, I, too, found myself saying, “Thanks for the invite, Lord, but say, can we make it some other time? Been there, done that, don’t care to do it again.”
It was through Moses’ next words that God spoke to me: “Please do not leave, inasmuch as you know how we are to camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes. And it shall be, if you go with us–indeed it shall be–that whatever good the LORD will do to us, the same we will do to you.” (Num 10:31-32, NKJV)
In other words, when we surrender to God’s will, two things are accomplished: First of all, we are allowing God to use us to bless to others (vs. 31), and secondly, we open the door to God’s blessing for ourselves (vs. 32)!
I do not know what jolt or bump there has been in each of your walks through life this week. However, whatever it may be that you are facing at the moment, may I encourage you to remember that when we willingly surrender to whatever He allows in our path, we are putting ourselves in the place where:
1. We may be a blessing to others; and
2. We are opening the door to receive His greater blessing!
I don’t know about you, but I choose to go wherever He leads…Even if that means another run through the valley of cancer.
In His love,
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two, Author — “Aboard God’s Train — A Journey With God Through the Valley of Cancer”, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, with Answers2Prayer Ministries. Follow Lyn on Twitter @lynchaffart.