Yesterday I watched the steady drip of chemo work itself into a loved one’s arm. We talked for hours about God’s mysterious ways of loving us through the hardest moments. Faith is strong, and the medication is working, but the uncertainty of recovery still lingers. I recalled a psalm that has settled my mind about serious illness, and the loss of our loved ones, and I’d like to share it with you in hopes that you will find the same peace in it that we did yesterday.
“The Lord God is a sun and a shield. He bestows favor and honor. No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” ~Psalm 84:11
I first heard this interpretation of Psalm 84:11 while reading an account of George Mueller’s final hours with his wife. This psalm was the last thing he read to her. He wrote of God being our source for all that we hold dear, and our protection in times of trial. He said that God was good to give her to him for so long (swoon). He also wrote of his own battles with the sinner within and his confidence that since he walks uprightly with Christ’s redemption, this promise applies to him. Thus, he reasoned that if it would be good for he and his wife that she be restored to health, then she would be. Likewise, if it be better, in God’s wisdom and foresight, that she be at rest, then she would be. Regardless of the outcome, God’s goodness would not be withheld. No good thing would He withhold… I had to chew on that, and let it really sink in. We don’t know what trials or suffering may lie ahead in anyone’s life, but God does. There in the hospital room, while we watch our loved ones struggle and face the what-if’s, that’s where we begin to know the depth of our trust in Him, and of His love for us. He is the source of life and our protector in it, the sun and the shield.
*****
Did you come to know peace while facing an extended illness or the loss of a loved one? Will you tell us about it? It’s in our struggles that we really come to know God and ourselves. Your story can bring hope to someone today.
Read More Stories Share Your Story
What is it you’re facing? Nobody goes into battle alone. We can stand with you. Let us know in the comments below how we can pray for you, or by submitting your story. He will fight for you.
Hope Shack 