For God's Glory

Blog 10- For God’s Glory

Well it certainly has been a roller coaster ride to say the least. I have at times found myself strong in faith, and at other times terribly weak. Through this whole ordeal, God has been showing me exactly what I am made of….am I who I say or think I really am? Do I love Him as much as I say I do and will I obey Him and go wherever He sends me? It has been a humbling experience in which I have had to wait on the Lord, which is hard. I want what I want now, but as He has proven time and time again, He has a reason for everything and His timing is perfect.

It has been hard to take my eyes off this cancer giant, but He is always faithful to send someone to lift me up out of the slump I get into at times. The New Year started off better than the Christmas holidays. My medications and supplements were adjusted so I could better tolerate them. However, most of the times I am very fatigued so I have had to learn to slow way down. Anyone who knows me knows I am a driven person- I am always on the go, doing, busy, energizer bunny, planner, go-getter, nothing will stand in my way kind of person…..I even walk fast! Through all this, God has slowed me to down to smell the roses…to see the things I have missed. Yesterday morning after a struggle with self-pity, I strolled out on the back patio early in the morning to soak up some healing rays. Above my head, I heard a “twit, twit, twit.” It was a little bird. As an avid nature lover, I knew all the birds in my neighborhood, but I have never seen that bird in my area before. As it twitted from leaf to leaf on the palm branches I realized that it was drinking water that had been caught from the morning dew. It made me realize how God cares for even the little birds, and how much more He cares for me. That little bird did not worry, but knew he would be taken care of. “Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life…..look at the birds of the air….Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6: 25,26. Do I truly believe that in my heart? I am choosing to believe it. Yes, Jesus cares for me.

In the last blog I spoke about the Red Sea experience of the Israelites. I spoke about the first rule from the book “The Red Sea Rules” by Robert J. Morgan:

Rule #1: “Realize that God means for you to be where you are.” Let us continue with the second rule:

Rule #2 says: “Be more concerned for God’s glory than for your relief.” Sometimes we can’t find answers because we ask the wrong questions. I have stopped asking why this is happening to me. Instead, we need to ask ourselves how God can be glorified in this situation. Says J. Hudson Taylor, “I know He tries me only to increase my faith, and that is all in love. Well, if He is glorified then I am content.” We see examples of this in the New Testament when Jesus is asked about the man who was blind from birth. The disciples wanted to know if it was because of something he or the parents had done to cause his blindness. However, Jesus answered that “this happened that the works of God should be revealed in him.” John 9:3. Same thing with Lazarus. Jesus said of his death in John 11:4 that “this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

Jesus glorified His Father throughout His life on earth. I want in my situation that God’s name is glorified. I want everyone to know that He is the Lord that saves us. “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to your Name give glory.” Psalm 115:1. I’ve seen Him do it in the past, and I know He’ll do it again. Several months ago, God did a miracle for my family. We have been going through illness after illness among my family members. One Sabbath morning over a year ago while sitting in church, I received a text from my cousin Bobby that my Aunt Lisa was not doing well, and that we should come to say our goodbyes. We left church right away to go see her in Fort Lauderdale. Before leaving I sent a quick text to Pastor Laffit Cortes requesting prayer for my Aunt. When we arrived at the hospital it was looking very grim. Aunt Lisa was hooked up to all kinds of tubes. It was hard to see my vibrant aunt in this state. 

Pastor Laffit called while I was there,  and asked if the family would be willing to have them do an anointing. My cousin agreed to it, and so the next day not one, but all three pastors came- Laffit Cortes, Gervon Marsh, and Morris Thompson! We sang and we prayed, and lifted up my cousin and his family, and then they anointed her.  It was very hard on Bobby as he had not only lost his father to Lou Gehrig’s disease, but also his only sibling, Chris, in a terrible accident. The doctors were planning to pull her breathing tubes, and this decision weighed heavily on Bobby. So it was especially difficult. We were able to minister to him and bring words of comfort when he found it too hard to bear.  I was so moved by that act of kindness on the part of the pastors, as they did not know my family, but they knew me. I was a part of their family- the family of God, and when one hurts we all hurt. And so it should always be with all of us. This act of kindness spoke volumes to my cousin and to my family as a testimony to our faith of the God we serve, and I will be forever grateful to my pastors for this. The next day Aunt Lisa started to show signs of improvement. Within the next few days, Aunt Lisa started to recover despite the odds. She started to speak again, then soon she could  stand up and walk! 

 Just this past Christmas, she was with us at our annual family Christmas dinner. God of wonder! I can always look back on this miracle experience and know that God is the Great Physician, and what He did for my Aunt Lisa, He can and will do for me. For His Words says “I am the Lord who heals you.” It is His will to heal and pour out blessings on His people, and we must always believe that.

As we go through the trials in this life know that God will turn” difficulties into deliverances and problems into praise, beauty for ashes, and an attitude of worship for the spirit of heaviness.” Oh how I know it! Night before last, in a dark moment of feeling sorry for myself, God called me to praise. As I poured out my heart in praise and adoration, God did indeed empower me to rise above my present situation and to give Him glory. God is teaching me to see in a different light, through different lens…..through His eyes. And so, I’m letting God do things His way and in His time, because His ways are set up just perfectly for Him to receive the outcome and the glory that belongs only to Him. I’m content with that. He wants us to reach yet higher through the trials and tribulations because He knows that when we come through victoriously, we will be greatly strengthened in our faith to not be moved. And then, His name WILL be glorified. AMEN!