The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you;
He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.
Do not FEAR or be dismayed. Deut. 31:8
I know someone who is very fearful. She frets and worries about almost everything but mostly her children. No matter how many times we pray together, recite scripture, she surrenders it to Christ, she slips back to the fears she has. I was at a loss on how to help her and couldn’t understand why she was so filled with fear.
Until…. the words cancer stage 3 and chemotherapy came into my life. I am writing this before I start my IV chemo. I must do this now because the list of side effects may make me very ill. That’s how toxic this drug can be. All of a sudden, as the day for treatment gets closer, that word FEAR creeps into my mind. I don't want to let fear rule in me as I’ve seen how trapped one can be once trapped in a sad cycle of living a life on the fear treadmill.
So, what do I do? The science for this disease is accurate. I have seen people I love go through chemo and how it ravages their bodies and they die. Or it ravages their bodies and they live. But it still ravages their bodies. I have seen doctors say you have two months to live and four years later they are still alive! FEAR!!
I begin to recite the promises of my God:
I am a child of God, I am created in His image, He empowers me through allowing the Holy Spirit to live in me. I have an unlimited supply His strength. I am loved abundantly. He is my deliverer, my healer, my forgiver, my reviver! He holds me in the palm of His hands and close to His heart. He is my protector. He will never leave me. He hears every cry, every prayer, and every whisper. He sees every tear and wipes them away or puts them into a bottle and keeps them close. My list goes on and on and changes day by day as I recite or write His promises, blessings or attributes.
But I also have to make a definite effort to do those lists and other things or I can easily fall back into my fearful state. There are days where I do, and I readily call upon special women in my life to pray over me and remind me of who holds me close. I am thankful for those precious sisters. I am also thankful for the years I’ve immersed myself in His Word. It has prepared me for such a time as this.
I am not perfect. I cry and wish I did not have to go through this, but I am so thankful that I have hidden His Word in my heart, that I have godly women in my life and that the King of Kings calls me His.
We all have, through this ministry, an opportunity to be a part of others lives. Let us this month pray for the women on your letter to saturate their lives with His Word. They will sing praises unto Him no matter what. Fear will not enter into them or us as we put on our armor for we have been chosen for the battle. Also, join one of the activities listed for the summer and get to know more sisters!
Raising our shields & swords together. I remain your faithful sister,
Sharon