From fighting Cancer to celebrating Christ

Part 3

We have been looking at Psalm 42 and how it can help move us from brokenness to celebration. If you haven’t read any previous articles, my name is Stephen, and I am fighting an aggressive type of cancer. Cancer is a journey none of us choose to walk, but many will have to walk; so what can we learn from these hard times in our lives? I’d like us to consider this question: Is it ok to question God? Is it biblical to express how we really feel to

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our Lord, or does God expect His people to never struggle during the journey of suffering? Psalm 42 can help answer this question. If we open our Bibles and read Psalm 42, we can see there is a question the psalmist asked God in verse 9: Why have you forgotten me? Can we do that? Is the psalmist expressing a sinful lack of faith? No, reread v.9 and we’ll see that he prays this to God, who is his Rock. He trusts God, but he doesn’t understand why this happening, and he feels free to take that question with all its raw emotions to the God he absolutely trusts. You see, this is the healing power of lament. The Psalms are full of what we call Lament Psalms just waiting to come to our aid. These psalms help us pour out our hearts, complaints, and all to the One we trust and ask Him, “Why?” Though God does not always tell us why, He tells us that we must express our grief openly and honestly to Him as an expression of our faith in Him. Lament is the God-given means we use to express our sorrow and pain so the God of all comfort can begin to strengthen us for the fight and give us a living, abiding hope. When the dark days of suffering come- and they will come- we do not need a pep talk, but a Soveriegn Lord who is close to us in our times of trouble. My encouragement for us is simple: Make friends with the Psalms, for they are our greatest ally to lead us from merely surviving to hopefilled celebrating. www.momsinprayer.org

The Lord has been so good to our family during this time, and He has given us some incredible victories in the midst of suffering. It seems both present suffering and present victories often exist together in a strange friendship.

I am taking harsh treatments that have put the cancer in remission.

So God gives grace to navigate the side effects, and He has given me life as well. We all have much to be thankful for! So as we practice lament, mix it with thanksgiving and don’t be surprised when you see hope dawn in the morning.

Our Mission: Moms In Prayer International impacts children and schools worldwide for Christ by gathering mothers to pray.