Thanksgiving

Proverbs 17:17- A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

This year I am especially thankful to my Father in Heaven for the friends and brothers he has given me.

Even more:
Proverbs 18:24- A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

I am thankful for that friend that is, has, and will always sticketh closer than a brother.


What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.

What a friend we have in Jesus

The following hymn came to mind today:

1. What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.

2. Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer.

3. Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he'll take and shield thee;
thou wilt find a solace there.


Matthew 11:28-30
28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Ephesians 6:10-18
10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints

I Thessalonians 5:17
17Pray without ceasing.

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

If memory serves correct, the first time I heard the following hymn was at Seventh Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. My family started attending 7th when I was about 6 years old. It was at 7th that I learned many of the great hymns and Psalters of the Faith. It was also there that I went to Sunday School & Catechism classes from 1st through 12th grade. On Wednesday nights we would have catechism which was preceded by a short song service. Every week we would also have an evening service on Sunday night, also preceded by a song service. Thanks to my parents, I faithfully attended church twice each Sunday and each Wednesday night (whether I wanted to or not). Through those services I learned many hymns that have come to memory at various times in my life, even in some cases when I hadn't heard or sang them in many years.

The following hymn came to mind on the morning of my surgery this past July. My wife and I had been reading scripture and praying much for weeks before surgery, but for some reason, on that morning, at about 4:30am, the only thing I could think of was the following hymn. Through some shaky voices, and a few tears we sang this together:

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.



Here is the scriptural basis for these words:

The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. Deuteronomy 33:27
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous. Psalms 37:17

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us. Micah 3:11

Philippians 4

Philippians 4 is probably one of the better known and most recognizable chapters in Scripture. Most Christians know, or ought to know, the following passage;
"4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
This passage is truly a great reminder and comfort to those in times of anxiety. Always go to the Lord in prayer (in good times too). Its also a key reminder to go to God in Thanksgiving. This spirit of Thanksgiving can be difficult for Christians as they go through difficult trials. Thus, Paul's next major point, and the verses I'd like to reflect on in this post.

Philippians 4:10-13
10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Again, many people know verse 13, and this is good. All things are possible with and through God, but I believe its important to see the preceding verses. They have to do with Contentment. The Apostle Paul can honestly say he knows "how to be brought low, and....to abound." This is a man who was wrongly imprisoned and beaten on numerous occasions. This is a man who was called by God to suffer (that's right, suffering isn't just some random thing that happened to Paul, it was one of his callings in life). How can Paul be content in a life where he is wrongly imprisoned, beaten, and constantly mocked by others? What is his secret for "facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.?" The answer is verse 13. Through Christ's strength he can do all things.

In every situation in life I need surrender all to Christ. I also need to be content in God's Providence. Understanding that providence isn't just things that happen in this life that I personally like, such as a material blessing. Everything that happens to me in this life is a providence that will ultimately be used for my good and more importantly for His Glory. Only through constant prayer and reading/studying scripture can a Christian begin to grow in true contentment. In Christ alone will this grace be found.

Psalm 73:21-28

Psalm 73:21-28 21
Thus my heart was grieved, And I was vexed in my mind. 22 I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. 23 Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. 24 You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. 26 My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 27 For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry. 28 But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your Works.

Verse 26 has been a verse that has become sort of a rallying cry for Jenny and me through this trial. I had heard or read the verse before, but it became much more rich with meaning in the past few months. Take the time to read the entire chapter for an even better context.

For Christmas this past year Jenny bought me a copy of Matthew Henry's Bible commentary. Excellent gift. I found his comments on these verses to be especially enlightening and encouraging. I'll share the comments on vs 26 below, feel free to look up the rest of the comments on this chapter too, they are excellent!

v. 26. Observe here, [1.] Great distress and trouble supposed: My flesh and my heart fail. Note, Others have experienced and we must expect, the failing both of flesh and heart. The body will fail by sickness, age, and death; and that which touches the bone and the flesh touches us in a tender part, that part of ourselves which we have been but too fond of; when the flesh fails the heart is ready to fail too; the conduct, courage, and comfort fail. [2.] Sovereign relief provided in this distress: But God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever. Note, Gracious souls, in their greatest distresses, rest upon God as their spiritual strength and their eternal portion. First, "He is the strength of my heart, the rock of my heart, a firm foundation, which will bear my weight and not sink under it. God is the strength of my heart; I have found him so; I do so still, and hope ever to find him so.’’ In the distress supposed, he had put the case of a double failure, both flesh and heart fail; but, in the relief, he fastens on a single support: he leaves out the flesh and the consideration of that, it is enough that God is the strength of his heart. He speaks as one careless of the body (let that fail, there is no remedy), but as one concerned about the soul, to be strengthened in the inner man. Secondly, "He is my portion for ever; he will not only support me while I am here, but make me happy when I go hence.’’ The saints choose God for their portion, they have him for their portion, and it is their happiness that he will be their portion, a portion that will last as long as the immortal soul lasts.V. He was fully convinced of the miserable condition of all wicked people. This he learned in the sanctuary upon this occasion, and he would never forget it .

I could never pretend that this is easy or that I've done or obeyed it well, especially in some of my thoughts. The prospect of dying young (or dying old I suppose) is certainly scary and the most obvious "elephant in the room" when one is diagnosed with any type of cancer. One secondary thing God has challenged me with in my life through having cancer twice as a young person has been having my "flesh" or physical strength and health fail. One would think that as a Christian I would simply be overflowing with gratitude to God for his mercy in healing me from boyhood cancer. However, too often I have dwelled on some physical limitations that resulted from my being healed. I remember and must confess that while growing up I would often in self-consciousness try to conceal and hide any physical differences that made me different than my peers. I look back now and think of all the missed opportunities I likely squandered by being too often ashamed of being different. Afterall, I was good at "fitting in" and trying not to be noticed as having differences. Unfortunately, there have been quite a few friends and acquaintences from High School and College that probably never knew I had cancer and all that God did in my life by healing me both physically and spiritually.

I still struggle with being physically "beaten down" by cancer, surgery, and treatments, especially as a young man who feels like he "should" be strong and full of vigor. Jenny and I have talked about how God seems to be teaching me, twice now! (I'm a little slow apparently), to not put any trust whatsoever in my own strength, but to rest 100% in Him. This is just one lesson I am learning. One verse my father often has quoted is Proverbs 16:18-"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." Even though I never thought of myself as particularly proud, I think this verse truly applies. There can be no pride in one's self as a Christian. That includes quiet, inward pride that perhaps no one notices but God.

The other lesson I've been reminded of is how God is sovereign in my life and does everything for a good purpose. God has literally and physically marked my body with scars. These are nothing to be self-conscious about, actually these are constant reminders to me everyday when I look in the mirror of the grace and mercy God has shown me. They also provide opportunities to share with others what God has done in my life and to witness the truth and power of the Gospel to them. People always stare and some ask (especially kids!) when I'm at the pool or the beach, and ironically one of my favorite things to do on this earth is be in the water.

One of my prayers over the last few years has been that I will be emboldened to share the gospel message with others, no matter what the circumstances or earthly consequences. One of Jenny and my prayers since my latest cancer diagnosis has been that we will, by the Holy Spirit's power, be used as a powerful witness to others throughout this time of trial. Whether the witness be to an unbeliever or an encouragement to a brother or sister in Christ. God promises that his word will not return void, and through the means of prayer and his adopted children's witness, he will reach many who are lost. Cancer and various other trials can be a gift and special opportunity for a Christian, it is important to always keep that in mind. The world is watching.

Hebrews 12:1-14

I was reading about concept of Providence about a month ago and one of the verses tied to it was from Hebrews. I thought I'd share it with you. I think this passage is a good reminder of the big picture. When struck with shocking news of a devastating disease it can be easy to want to cling to this short, temporary earthly life and worry about day-to-day concerns.This passage is a reminder to me that as a Christian I am just a pilgrim on this earth living a short life (whether I live to be 8 years old or 98 years old, life is very short compared to eternity).

Hebrews 12:1-14
Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and(A) sin which clings so closely, and(B) let us run(C) with endurance the race that is(D) set before us, 2looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith,(E) who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising(F) the shame, and(G) is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Do Not Grow Weary 3(H) Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or(I) fainthearted. 4In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? (J) "My son,(K) do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.6For(L) the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives."
7It is for discipline that you have to endure.(M) God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8If you are left without discipline,(N) in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to(O) the Father of spirits(P) and live? 10For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good,(Q) that we may share his holiness. 11(R) For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields(S) the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12Therefore(T) lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13and(U) make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint(V) but rather be healed. 14(W) Strive for peace with everyone, and for the(X) holiness(Y) without which no one will see the Lord.

I highlighted the last several verses because I really felt the Spirit pressing these words upon me. I thought about how discipline can be punishment (ex: I did something wrong so Dad gives me a spanking-this is a form of training/correction) or can be training (like when someone joins the army they first go through boot camp). Either way, discipline is meant to build someone up and improve them in some way. Discipline is not fun, but it is necessary in all different times and places of life. Discipline gets us ready for something; whether it be running a race, serving in the military, or raising a child to be an upstanding citizen. It is not fun, but it is necessary. Earthly discipline can be good and is well intended, but it is not perfect. God's discipline, Heavenly discipline, Sanctification, is good & perfect. He does it because he loves his children and is preparing them for his Service on Earth, and for Eternal Life with him in Heaven. Through discipline, Sanctification, trials, etc, God is doing something amazing in our lives; He is making us more like himself ! We are being made Holy, and slowly but surely being made more like Christ (One who suffered more than any adopted child of God will ever experience). Through prayer and greater dependence on our Father, we learn and grow in traits such as grace, patience, perseverance, and learning to have joy even in times of turmoil. I love the language in the ESV Bible; " 12Therefore(T) lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13and(U) make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint(V) but rather be healed." It is easy to get down ("drooping...") in times of difficulty, but we need to remember that it is through these times of trial, when we lean on God through prayer, scriptures, and Christian relational encouragement, that we are being made more and more like Christ himself; we are being made Holy and being prepared for a glorious eternity with our gracious Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. So instead of falling into the Devil's trap of self-pity, negativity, and general "droopiness" let us instead run this great race God has set before us, and lean on him for the strength and courage to get through each day.
We want and pray for healing from earthly disease (and this is right to do), but the real healing needed is from that "old man"(our sinful nature) that still lives with us while on earth; we are putting to death this "cancer" and being made a better man more in the likeness of God our Father. Let us think on this today and in times of difficulty and remember that earthly trials are only for a short time; yet they serve an eternal purpose.

Purpose of Blog

To God be the Glory! True comfort in life and in death can only come through a genuine saving Faith in the matchless work of Jesus Christ.

The goal of this blog is not for it to be all about me and my trial(s). My prayer is that the posts of this blog may be of service and encouragement to those who the Lord is putting through their own personal trials and crucibles. After the Background & Purpose posts I intend to only have posts that focus on a particular scripture that the Lord has used in my life during times of distress. I may post the occasional update on my changing health status for those who might be interested, but most of these posts I'm hoping could be almost devotional in content.

The Psalm of my life has been Psalm 46. This Psalm has meant a great deal to me personally ever since my first battle with cancer as an 8 year old. The purpose of this blog is to provide encouragement to those in trial by bringing together passages from all over scripture of comfort, strength, hope, patience, sanctification, trial, supplication. All of this to show how through the great gift of the Holy Scriptures we may be strengthened, reminded, renewed in knowing that "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble."

Psalm 46
To the Chief Musician.
A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song for Alamoth.
1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. 6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. 7 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has made desolations in the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah