God Meant It For Good

[George]

This summer we have been having a series of sermons on Wednesday evenings about the life of Joseph. this would be Joseph of the Old Testament. One of the primary themes of the series has been God Meant It For Good. If you look at the series of adverse events that happened in Joseph's life you can see that God did mean it all for good.

As an adjunct to the sermons we have had one of the Church people give a testimony each Wednesday about something in their life that appeared to be really bad but it turns out that God meant it for good.

This coming Wednesday (not tonight but next week) it will be my turn to give testimony. I have chosen to address my 7 1/2 year journey with cancer and how God meant it for good. I believe some of you and also a number of people in my Church will be thinking, "Man, this guy is really nuts!" Not true! There are many, many reasons why I believe that the journey the Lord and I have had with this disease have worked out for good in my life. It is sad because I will be limited to 5 or 10 minutes and I know I could do the whole service if given the time.

I have been working on an outline for my testimony using Scripture as the basis for backup of my statements and beliefs on this subject. It will also help me to limit the time as requested by my Pastor. Once the testimony is delivered I will gladly share it with all of you if you would like to read it. I do not want to do it before it is presented at Church. I know the risk is small but I would rather no one in Church be aware of any of the content until that night.

I would appreciate your prayers in this testimony and that everything I say does show that God Meant It For Good and that it honor and glorify Him and not me.

In Christ,
George

[lisa]

Hello Bro. George I don't think you are nuts at all. Our family has really been through some tough times. I can honestly say looking back I thank God for every trial our family has been through. Because it was through these trials that I learned the most in my christian life. God is always so good to us. I would really enjoy reading your testimony. Blessings Lisa

It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. Psalm 119:71

[George]

Sister Lisa, thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you especially for that verse from Psalm 119. I am going to close my testimony with it. I think it a wonderful verse to close with. I read it to my wife via telephone and she really likes it also. You have been a great help to me.

In Christ,
George

[michelle]

Brother George,

I look forward to reading your testimony.

[George]

This passed Wednesday night I was blessed and privileged to be able to give my "God Meant It For Good" testimony. I sent an outline to the Smith Family prior to the day of the testimony but I changed it a bit. In speaking with my Pastor we decided it would be best to keep it with me rather than bring anyone else as far as the hospital, doctors and nurses into it. That is a whole different night. Anyway I am going to paste a copy of the outline below for you all to read.

God meant it for good

1. Feb 3rd, 2003 – GIST found during surgery - But God meant it for good


(2Co 12:7) And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

(2Co 12:8) For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

(2Co 12:9) And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

(2Co 12:10) Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

a.) Explain “thorn” – a sharpened stake

b.) Exalted above measure – humility – a contrite heart – A reminder of Who is really in control

2.) Further surgeries in between

a.) During this time the Lord continued to work on me in the area of pride and humility.

b.) I left First Baptist during that time but learned it was wrong and a sin to leave

(Ecc 10:4) If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.

c.) Honesty and yielding to Pastor

d.) If I would not have put into practice the continual yielding to the Holy Spirit that I have I would not be married to the sweet, wonderful blessing of a woman that is now my wife.


4. June 16th 2010 admitted to hospital
June 18th exploratory surgery – almost lost my mortal life
Ten days in hospital

But God meant it for good!

a.) During recovery I had a lot of time to think, ponder and meditate

b.) I learned gratefulness and how many things I had taken for granted are truly blessings


It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. Psalm 119:71
__________________________________________________________

The "moral of the story" is that exceptionally good things can and often do come out of what are extremely adverse situations. I was somewhat embarrassed but also heartened to hear quite a few "amens" from the congregation as I spoke. I was there to give credit to and please no one other than the Lord but when others are apparently blessed by something I have to say that is even better. This is a wonderful example of what can happen when we look to the Lord in adversity rather than feeling sorry for ourselves.

In Christ,
George

[michelle]

Thank you for sharing your outline with us Brother George

[Tyler's Helpmeet]

Thank you for sharing. I truly believe that the hardships we face in life often serve a greater purpose and can be used to bring us or those around us to something good.

[jessicasherrow]

I think that it is awesome that you shared your testimony. My Dad got diagnosed with a rare brain tumor when I was 13. He was given 6 months to live. That was 13 years ago. He was a workaholic back then and when he was at home, he continued to work finding things to do around that house to build or whatever. He was a good dad, even then, but we didn't get to spend quite as much time with him as we liked to. When he got sick, he was very depressed because he couldn't do things like he used to and he would have to give up his new, thriving business. But if you ask him now, he will tell you he is thankful to have gotten sick. It was meant for good. We all now have a very strong, close relationship with our dad. We started going to church, eating together at the table, talking, and just spending lots of quality time together. He still has alot of neurological problems today from it, but thankfully he has lived to see 3 grandsons born and has the time at 48 to spend all the time he wants with them. I thought he was crazy when he first said his tumor was meant for good, but now I see it too.

[George]

Thank you for sharing that testimony about your father with us. It once again shows that wonderful things can come from adverse situations. All because God meant it for good. I can emphasize with his not being able to do things as he would have liked. I used to be a very active man. N ow I just don't have the energy or endurance to accomplish much without having to stop and sit for a while. I have been working on building a cabinet that will be a part of a 4 foot extension of kitchen counter with a built-in dishwasher in it. It has taken me two weeks to get as far as I have with the cabinet. Needless to say I am not pleased with that at all. I want to be done but the Lord has other plans. I think my worst short coming is that I don't listen to my wife well at all. She knows better than I what I can and can not do but I have a tendency to be bull headed about it and of course I suffer because of it. You would think that one time I would learn!

In Christ,
George

[Tammy]

Bro. George, thank you for sharing this! What a great testimony of God's grace. I've been meditating on Job lately, and you remind me of these words that Job spoke: "What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" (In all this did not Job sin with his lips.) Also, "But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold."