Now this I know:
    The Lord gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
    with the victorious power of his right hand.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.  
Psalm 20:6-7

---

Today’s Scripture, specifically verse seven, is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. It has seen me through rheumatic fever and many strep throats that kept me sickly until my tonsil extraction at age twenty-one. After years, God had finally answered my prayers; there were no more fevers or pain. I had become stronger, and fitness became a priority. 

In a blink, I was 68. My year was filled with a gazillion doctor visits, tests, and multiple biopsies. 2024 wouldn’t have been complete without a cement faceplant and menacing stitches. One of my friends joked, “I think you need ‘Bubble Wrap’ when you leave home.” 

I had difficulty trusting God during this mess.

David, one of my favorite heroes, wrote today’s Scripture before he went to war on behalf of the Israelites. He believed the Lord would give him victory by the “power of His right hand,” and God did.

Trusting in God’s name means believing in His character. He loves us beyond all reason. God also holds authority over all things happening in and around us. His power is magnificent, and I know I should be able to trust in it.  

But unfortunately, I often trust in my sinful self instead of God!

God sent Jesus to Earth to save me and forgive my lack of trust, so I confess this and then find joy in any circumstance. 

I asked God this year if I could have a different kind of year in 2025.  I went dutifully to my appointments and then, whammy, another diagnosis, this one chronic. I admittedly felt woebegone for a nano-second, but I was determined to listen to the medical professionals, and my Heavenly Father, who knows me intimately and has a very good plan for me up His sleeve now, and into Eternity.

Life will never be “easy,” but remember that in all our situations, God fights for us!

Next Steps

If you have ever had such a few years as mine or are having one as I pen these last words, here are a few tidbits:

• Put this song on repeat in your warrior toolbox: “There is None like You.”
• Write about it.
• Pray about it, hopefully also with trusted Godly men and women.
• Worship and thank God during your season.