In the Valley of Baca Journal #15

 

October 15, 2018  “Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him, for He shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between His shoulders.”  ~Deut. 33:12 (NAS)

This Scripture verse from Deuteronomy is translated a couple different ways—in the New American Standard Bible, it says “the one the Lord loves rests between His shoulders.” In most other translations that I looked at, it is translated, “The beloved of the Lord dwells in safety. The High God surrounds him all day long, and dwells between his shoulders.” (ESV)

So whether it is one the Lord loves that rests between the shoulders of the Lord, or the High God Who dwells between the shoulders of the beloved one, either way the thought is wonderful, and a precious and comforting reassurance .

 October 16, 2018:“The eternal God is your refuge and dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”  ~Deut. 33:27

 October 18, 2018: My first maintenance dose of chemo was supposed to be done yesterday, but was postponed because of some fluid in my abdomen of unknown origin and as seen on CT scan.  I’m scheduled for a lower GI tomorrow. Starving today on a clear liquid diet and bowel stimulants. Ugh!

October 24, 2018: Lower GI was extremely uncomfortable, but turned out to be normal.  The question remains: what is causing the fluid in the abdomen? It is definitely a bump in the road for me as it may delay my treatment in the maintenance phase even more.

I’ve been waking very early each morning—usually around 4 a.m., and as thoughts begin to assail me (as they so often do when it is dark and quiet), I try to pray. This morning I heard whispered very softly in my heart the words, “Don’t be afraid.” I’m “taking those words to the bank” so to speak.

October 27, 2018: Ultrasound of a couple days ago was inconclusive. We still don’t know why there is a pocket, or maybe pockets, of fluid. Now the dr is thinking there may possibly need to be something more invasive done—like maybe surgery?… I have an appointment with my doctor on the 31^st to find out the plan.

October 28, 2018: “Don’t ever judge God’s love based on your circumstances.  Instead, evaluate your circumstances from the perspective of God’s love.”  ~Henry Blackaby in Experiencing God Day by Day

“God is too good to be unkind, and He is too wise to be mistaken.  And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.”  ~Charles Spurgeon

I’m trusting…