Faith in the Face of Great Obstacles

October 21 — Psalm 56:1–13

When I am afraid, I will trust in you.

In God, whose word I praise,

in God I trust;

I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?

(Psalm 56:3–4)

It has been over twenty-five years since I received the call telling me that my sister had cancer. I can remember flying to Wisconsin for the weekend to visit her — a visit, as it turned out, which was more for my encouragement than hers! I was amazed at how she was so totally at peace over the situation. Before my visit, my sister’s cancer had been in remission for several months. But a regular check-up had revealed a more aggressive cancer that was determined to be inoperable. The doctors told the family that the new cancer would be terminal.

My sister went to the Lord in prayer and repeatedly sensed that she would be healed — in God’s time and in God’s way. Her husband felt the same when he prayed and they continued to trust the Lord with the outcome. Their confidence and peace was evident during my visit and reminded me of many of the promises in God’s Word concerning how we can trust Him during difficult times.

In Proverbs 3:5, we are told to “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding.” There are going to be circumstances in all of our lives in which we will not be able to understand the whys or wherefores. What we can do is place our trust in Jesus, knowing that He is all-wise and that He loves us beyond measure. We can rest in this knowledge that our God will do what is ultimately best for us.

Since we do not always understand the situations we face, we often do not know how to pray about them. It is comforting to know, as Romans 8:26 explains, that in such times the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, making our requests known to the Father. I experienced many times like that when I would be praying for my sister but could not find the words. Yet, an unexplainable peace would settle over me, letting me know that God had heard my prayer. Throughout Scripture, there are many passages such as these that direct us to God for guidance and strength. Take the time and search the riches of His Word. You will discover testimony after testimony to a living God who is closer than you can imagine.

My sister did pass away a couple of months after my visit. She received God’s ultimate healing as He welcomed her Home. I will always remember her faith rooted in the Word of God and the strength and peace she drew from her countless hours spent in the Lord’s presence. I pray that I will face my struggles in life, regardless how difficult and whatever the outcome, with as much grace and faith as she did.