Be Living Proof

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Submitted January 22, 2013

Dana with her father Dan.

Source: Dana Moss

His name was Dan. He was in stage-four terminal lung cancer. Four weeks after his anointing the doctors were scratching their heads because there was no trace of cancer in his body. He kept a journal entitled “Observations On My Miracle by God.” In one entry he said: “Quirk? Coincidence? Luck? Those words don’t make cancer go away. There by the grace of God go I. There is a God in heaven and I am living proof.” He kept that faith always, even until the next year when his cancer returned. This faithful man was my dad, and he died from lung cancer when I was only 11.

“Count it all joy when you fall into various trials…” (James 1:2My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
See All...) echoes through my head from time to time. Have you ever endured a trial that you thought was too tough to bear? Too heavy to carry? When God felt so far away? My life after my dad died gradually fell to shambles. Through my depression, sins and loss of faith I didn’t heal for a very long time, but when I was 15 I remembered God. I remembered how my dad loved God’s way and his unshakable faith. I wondered why he loved it, and I had to find out for myself if God’s way was something I could love, too.

1. You are a child of the living God —“And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ there they shall be called sons of the living God” (Romans 9:26And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
See All...).

He is your Father, and you are His child. Our Father loves us more than anything. He will never leave you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:8And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
See All...). His arms are open for you to run into, and He knows what we need before we even ask for it (Matthew 6:7-8 [7] But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
[8] Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

See All...) and can’t find the words to describe our pain.

2. You are given God’s living Word —“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
See All..., emphasis added throughout).

Use His living and powerful Word to defend against Satan, who thrives on our sin! Satan loves our sadness, our doubt, our anger towards God. But when you trust in God and believe in His Word than you can fight any battle that comes your way.

3. God has given you living hope —“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
See All...).

Don’t give up. Our Father has mercifully given us living hope. He gave His one and only Son as a living sacrifice so that all men shall live! (John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
See All...). God believes in you. You can get through any trial if you keep God close to your heart just as Jesus did when He endured the cross.

4. You are a precious, living building block of the Body —“Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
See All...).

God has intricately placed you with care to help build up His spiritual House, because you are precious to Him and He wants you to be a part of His family. Continue building your spiritual house on God’s mighty foundation of rock (Matthew 7:24-27 [24] Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
[25] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
[26] And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
[27] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

See All...), and remember to allow God’s guiding hands to take you down the righteous path—even through the trials.

For me, I want to be living proof; for my Father to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
See All..., 23). But I also want to be a part of God’s Kingdom so I can see my dad again. If it weren’t for this huge trial in my life, I’m not sure I would even be here trusting in God; that I can move mountains with Him on my side. God healed me and changed my life. Quirk? Coincidence? Luck? Those words don’t make pain, suffering, depression and sadness go away. There by the grace of God go I. There is a God in heaven and I am living proof.