Responding by Faith
A few months back, my dear friend and fellow church elder finally got answers after prolonged sickness. None of us liked the news, and when we heard the “C” word—cancer—it sent shockwaves into my heart and through our church.
Michael King is a young man who faithfully pursues Jesus and servingly leads our church in worship. His faith did not give him a pass on a serious medical condition. As a human in a fallen world, he now is navigating a disease that may take his life or at a minimum alter it.
I have admired his positive attitude and trust in our sovereign God. Even in great pain and discomfort, he has remained an example of what pursuing Jesus looks like. Even in the face of potential death, we can look to his testimony of looking at a change of season for a moment of growth.
Life inevitably will throw us curve balls. It may not be cancer. Perhaps it is as simple as a flat tire or as significant as a broken marriage. No matter the circumstance these shifts present opportunities for us to seek the Lord, trust His faithfulness and act according to His will.
It may even be that our response to a crisis may move others to see the work of God and then respond by faith to the Father. We can reflect on the interaction between Jethro and Moses in Exodus 18 as an example. Moses seized an opportunity to share the story of God’s justice and provision. In so doing, Jethro recognized that Yahweh is the One True God and worshiped Him immediately.
Imagine the Kingdom’s impact if we were faithful to point others to Jesus in our commitment to telling His story or even in our reactionary response to an unexpected crisis. Only time will tell the impact that Michael’s trust in God will have on the Kingdom. While we wait, we can model the response and action to keep looking up.
While reflecting on this truth, take a moment to pray for Michael, for our church, and even consider donating to help Michael pay his medical bills. You can consider that here: https://gofund.me/dc3014f1
Hear more of Michael’s story and listen as he and Ricky walk through what it means to find God’s grace in the middle of a battle:
