Three Ways We Can Respond to a Trial!

It has not even been a week yet since we found out our 4 year old Katie Kuehl has cancer! She has been through a 7 hour surgery to remove a tumor the size of a cantaloupe! (Yeah, the thing was 2.2 lbs.) She begins chemotherapy on Thursday to eradicate any lingering cancer cells.

This will be one of many trials we will face as a family! The question I ask myself many times is, “How do we respond Biblically?” I have been praying and studying this matter out for the last 5 days and here is what the Lord has taught us so far.

We can respond ….

1. With Fear... When I heard the word “cancer” from my wife with tears in her eyes and it was our child, the first feeling I had was FEAR! I understand that fear is a natural instinct given by God. So the question is, why do we have it if God does not want us to fear?  We were given fear in order to reverence and respect our creator.  “1Samual 12:24 Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.” When going through a trial, the last thing we think is “how great things He has done for us”. Can I remind you that with God nothing is out of His control! Fear is dispelled by trusting in His ultimate plan!  “Psalms 56:3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” God is not grieved if we have fear he is grieved when fear has us. When you are afraid the Bible says TRUST IN CHRIST! We were talking with our Oncologist/Hematologist who has seen the worst and the best in life. She is in-tune with many theologians and scientists, who for decades cannot grasp the mysteries of life. I asked her, “How does your work affect your faith”? She said something very profound yet very simple. She said “I have accepted that a mystery can remain a mystery”. What she was saying was, “I trust God’s creation and plan although I do not fully understand”.

• Fear grips and holds us back from moving forward.  Job said in Job 4:14 Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake. Job remained faithful and recieved more in the end than in the beginning! 
• Fear reveals our lack of faith in God. Matthew 14:30 But when he (Peter) saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
• Fear becomes our controlling spirit instead of the Holy Spirit!2Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

2. With Fire… Or anger! When I think of a fire I think of it’s consuming affects. It does not care who it burns and who it destroys. An interesting truth about a wild fire is that when it’s out of control, firefighters use fire to destroy itself. Ultimately a fire is self consuming and self destructive. It also sustains it’s power by burning others! I know this about people who allow anger to overcome them during trials, “They destroy themselves and others”.  Anger soon turns to bitterness, which is a miserable place to be. As one person put it, “bitterness is the poison we drink hoping others will die”. I have the propensity to become angry at God, but why should I allow that to destroy me and my family! Anger does not help the situation it only fuels the fire for more anger, bitterness, and fear! Anger is a choice we make! God looks at every situation with love and His plan in mind. We have to remember that God does not view life the same way we do.  Psalms 145:17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. We can only understand His righteous and holy works if He allows us to. Until then I have to remember that He is the Potter and I am the clay, when anger overcomes me I become unusable day by day!

• Anger will destroy me and others  Genesis 49:7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.
• Anger is foolish  Ecclesiastes 7:9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
• Anger reveals a lack of self control  Proverbs 16:32 ¶ He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

3. By Faith… Having a relationship with the One I do not see has become more real than the ones I can touch. Hebrews 11:1 ¶ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Someone once asked “When your all by yourself  and the distractions are all gone, who am I?” I am proud to say that I have a personal relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! He was there at those times I felt all alone. He became my strength and high tower. There were times I felt like I was drowning and His presence lifted me out, Psalms 61:2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. I can honestly say that I found that Rock and climbed to the top were I found fresh air and an inward renewing! I can see from the top of that mountain all the wonders of God, and most of all.. His presence! I am overwhelmed by God’s precious people and by God’s powerful hand! If the Rock was not there I would still be drowning in fear and anger with no help for miles to see.

• Faith comes by the Word of God Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
• Faith reveals your love for God Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
• Faith gives you what the world  cannot  Hebrews 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
• Faith gives you strength and soundness through your trial Peter said in Acts 3:15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong (Emphasis lame man), whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

I believe that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are called according to HIS purpose. God has a wonderful plan. If we are to be the soft clay he expects us to be… then we should be okay when a little pressure is applied in life. In the end He is trying to mold a family into a master piece!