What If . . . He Is!

     What If… The question that so easily eludes our thinking into a deep well full of possibilities most often in opposition to reality. What if can surface from any given fleeting feeling of the moment, and is most often derived from the one thing Godly women should abhor, fear that is not respectful of God. What if… he doesn’t like me… founded on insecurity or fear of rejection; What if… I cannot perform well enough… founded on the false premise of pleasing others. What if …the worst thing of all I can imagine in this given situation happens…but, What if …I chose something different?

     What if… I chose to believe and stand firm in God’s Word, What if …I chose to pray instead of worry or fear, What if… I chose to focus on Christ’s love for me, no matter the outcome. The power of peace with the ending begins with the sufficient source of our filling. Scripture tells us in John 7: 38, in reference to the gospel message of Christ Jesus that, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” When facing our fears, trials, and insecurities, we must bring to the surface what is the bottom of the source that fills our thoughts and emotions that spring us into action or resistance.

After one year of marriage my husband was diagnosed with an aggressive and deadly cancer, and facing the facts of reality the questions flooded my mind full of “What if’s”. After wrestling with the news and desiring to reign in the conclusions of so many possibilities that could affect our lives, I thought to myself, what did God want for me, or better yet, what did He want from me in this? 1 Peter 3:10 says “For, “The one who desires life, to love and see good days, Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.” I had to evaluate was I allowing deceit in my mind? Was I telling myself something deceitful and destructive to believe alongside this horrible and realistic news? The answer was yes! I had the news, but I did not have the end results, yet my mind was concluding the worst endings for us already.

Matthew 6:26 says, “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?” I realized there was no amount of worry that could change anything we were facing head on. This worry only displayed my frailty of want and belief of need for my husband. The one who can truly fill my life is Christ, and I cannot want or need anyone more than Him. The love Christ gives us to love others, does not diminish the trial, but puts it in a proper perspective. I am commanded in Scripture to take my thoughts captive from all of the “What if’s” and surrender them to Christ. The only way I could live in His glory during this trial, would be one day at a time. Matthew 6:34 says “do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

In the same evening of receiving that news from our doctor and after hours of silent prayers pleading to the Lord for comfort, He filled my heart full when the Holy Spirit led my husband to lead us quietly in our home to our knees and surrender our fears and worries to Him. In that moment, in an opportunity to be filled with grief or find something to give thanks for amidst what felt like a dreadful sentence of misery, I chose to be grateful for a husband who turned our attention to Christ. He blesses the prayers of those who walk in His ways and come to Him in secret. We made a commitment that no matter what, we would bring Christ Jesus glory in this trial. We did not like the news of our circumstances, but we determined to acknowledge Christ as our source of knowledge, wisdom, and strength and that He would direct our steps.

It is satisfying to be loved by God, and to know that he anchors our hearts in His Word together. He is the one that binds and heals, and He is the one who is the living water. No one can take us from His grip, and this trial was to turn our hearts more towards Him, not to ask What if, but to say, He Is, good, faithful, true, and filling our lives with His glory to dispel the darkness and shine His light. This trial, was a testimony to all who were watching, that He Is our Source of life who is the living water!

P.S.

Praise to our Lord, Mauricio has been cleared of the cancer and will continue with follow ups! The doctors “got it all” but we know the Lord “has it all” in His control!

Turning from the What If’s to He Is:

1. Do be careful as to what you allow your mind to dwell on. Guard your thoughts, and take captive your worries for Christ. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” He Is your Peace!
2. Do observe the birds and the flowers, and believe you are more important. Matthew 6:26 says “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” He Is your Protector!
3. Do not run from your trials, they are for your refinement. My life verse as a born-again believer is Job 23:10 “But he knows the way that I take; when He has tried me, I shall come out as gold.” This is the walk of sanctification – being refined for when we meet Him and are perfected. He Is your Perfecter!
4. Do acknowledge Him as sufficient, comforter, provider, sustainer, because He Is and yield to trials one day at a time! Paul says of Christ Jesus in regards to the “thorn” in his side: II Corinthians 12:8-10 “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” He Is your Power!
5. Do pray in secret for the Lords will to be done, and for your will to align with His. Matthew 6:6 says “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”He Is your Priest!
6. Do pray in Faith and without doubt. James 1:6 says “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” He Is your Provider!