Daily Devotional, Year 4 – March 8 (In Every Thing Give Thanks!?! Part 8: “Cancer, a Faith-building Experience?”)

By admin On April 4th, 2021

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Daily Devotional, Year 4 – March 8

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In Every Thing Give Thanks!?!

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Part 8:

“Cancer, a Faith-building Experience?”

To read Part 1, click here… February 1st (In Every Thing Give Thanks!?!)

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“And we know that all things

work together for good

to them that love God,

to them who are the called

according to His purpose.

For whom He did foreknow,

He also did predestinate

to be conformed to the image of His Son,

that He might be

the firstborn among many brethren.”

Romans 8:28, 29

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A certain Christian was going through cancer treatment, and well, he was questioning why God was putting him through all this.

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“Why do I have to wear all these tubes? And this bag?! Why has God allowed me to go through all this pain and suffering?” These were just two of the many questions this man was asking.

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And so, his “pity-party” went forward, day-by-day.

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Hair pulling stress – frustration – cropped image – Wikimedia – Share-alike License

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“I GO FORWARD…AND BACKWARD, BUT I CANNOT PERCEIVE HIM”

Job 23:8

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But then, as time went by, he realized that God was working through each crisis, both little and great, to strengthen his faith!

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Yes, every time some problem or crisis arose, and he began to wonder where God was hiding, the problem eventually got solved, one way or another.

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And this same experience was repeated throughout the cancer treatment. Problems arose, but then they were solved, one-by-one!

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Doctors in surgery – cropped image – Wikimedia Commons – Share-alike License

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“FROM FAITH TO FAITH…THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH!”

Hebrews 1:18

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And so, eventually that Believer saw his faith being further strengthened day-by-day, and his murmuring heart eventually quieted, now content to allow God to work through his daily difficulties.

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And let’s face it! There is nothing like some catastrophic illness, whatever that illness happens to be, to get our attention, that we look up to God for help!

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And even though God is very concerned about our life here on earth, His greatest desire is to be with us throughout eternity!

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OUR DAILY BATTLE

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Perhaps at the end of each day, maybe while lying down in bed, we need to spend much time thinking back on how we might have overcome that big or little attack by the Devil. Just what “exceeding great and precious promises” could have been employed, which would have given us the victory over the temptations which assailed us in our daily warfare?

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Listen…Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2nd Peter 1:4)

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Constant learning and hiding of the many Bible promises into our hearts is a critically important part of our daily walk in the Lord!

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The armor of God – theheavensdeclare.net -use by permission only

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“WHEN HE HAS TRIED ME, I SHALL COME FORTH AS GOLD!”

Job 23:10

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Listen to God’s merciful way of dealing with this sorrowful world…

“It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed…

They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness…

But though He cause grief…

For He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men…

Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.”

Lamentation 3:22, 32, 33, 40

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God takes no pleasure in seeing anybody suffer. It grieves Him to the depths of His heart!

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But He allows the often-tragic results of this world of sin and rebellion to become His gold-smelting shop, that He might eventually see His glorious Image perfectly reflected in His vessels of purified gold!

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Munch – Det Syke Barn – 1896 – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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“LOVE NOT THE WORLD!”

(read 1st John 2:15-17)

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And God, being the Searcher of Hearts, sees how much we inherently love this present, selfish world.

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And so, He must drive out our love for this evil world of sin, with all its earthy pleasures and proud, ambitious pursuits…“If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him (or her).” (read 1st John 2:15-17).

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Thus, God begins a work in many souls, to drive out that innate earthly love. This is why God allows suffering, sickness, and many sorrows to come upon us, even from birth to the grave.

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And while it grieves the Lord greatly, to behold suffering, He knows that in the end, these things will purify our hearts, even as precious gold is purified!

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Munch – Det Syke Barn – 1896 – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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“EVERLASTING JOY SHALL BE UPON THEIR HEADS!”

Isaiah 35:10 & 51:11 & 61:7

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Yes, my tried and troubled soul, remember that this little life only lasts a few decades.

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But eternity in God’s Promised Land Paradise goes on unceasingly throughout all timeless ions of endless joy and peace and contentment!

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The River Of The Water Of Life by H. Melville – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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**And whether we live on for another 10 or 20 years, or just a short time, we can be assured of the following “exceeding great and precious promises”…**

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“For this God is our God

for ever and ever:

He will be our guide

even unto death…

(And) when He hath tried me,

I shall come forth as gold.”

Psalm 48:14 & Job 23:10

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TO READ PART 9, CLICK HERE…

May 26 (In Every Thing Give Thanks!?! Part 9: “Nick Vujicic: A Pity-Party’s Worst Guest!”)

Girl – Depression by Danielzanetti for Wikimedia – C.C. Share-alike License 3.0

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Help me to allow this terrible experience I’m going through, to build my faith and trust in Thee, that I may become more-and-more like Jesus…

USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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THE END

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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN

Info & pics of constellations on this site from Wikipedia & International Astronomical Union (click here)

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THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXCERPT FROM THE ARTICLE… “THE ARMOR OF GOD”

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“PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD”…

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I didn’t understand all that Ephesians 6 was talking about. “What does it mean to put on ‘the breast plate of righteousness'”? This was very puzzling to me… “How does a person just put something like that on?” This was a concept above my comprehension.

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***“And how does a person ‘put on the helmet of salvation'”,* I thought to myself… *“especially while Satan is condemning and accusing every moment?”***

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“And how do you put on the shoes, with the gospel of peace’?” I couldn’t understand these concepts. I was too new in the faith.

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ONE CONCEPT THAT DID MAKE SENSE…

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But there was one thing I could understand. I knew what it meant to take the “sword of the spirit, which is the word of God”. Now that I got! Read the Bible! That’s a simple concept! Yeah!

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The sketch above is Orion the Soldier and the Dragon of Revelation 12. They begin to rise in the east in the fall and gradually move westward, finally sinking in the west in the spring. Find Orion first. Look for his 3-star belt. Then find the 4 bright stars of his shoulders and feet. Then locate the Dragon’s mouth (AKA Hyades).

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TOMORROW…

March 9 (A World of Lies, Part 14: “It’s a Cuttlefish World! Yellow Journalism Today!” FURTHER CONTINUED)

The Yellow Press by L.M. Glackens

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THE DESIRE OF AGES, BY ELLEN G. WHITE

This is a chapter of the audio book about the Gospel of Jesus Christ in His life and ministry.

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Chapter 23 – The Kingdom of God Is at Hand

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Sign of the Son of Man Constellation – made of the various constellations on this website

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EXCERPTS FROM THE OPEN FORUM QUESTION/ANSWER RADIO TALK-SHOW…

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This is a small 30 minute sampling of the late Harold Camping’s nearly 50 year series of 90 minute nightly talk shows…This is Open Forum Show #117

Signs Of Heaven