I'm not sure where God fits in

I too appreciate the book of Job. God dismisses his friends who insist he must of done something to deserve his extreme anguish. God says to them, " Ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job." But then he widens Job perspective. It still portrays God as a anthropormorphic master puppeteer, in charge of everything, which I fine hard to believe. I love the poetry of the old King James Bible version " 1Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 2Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? 3Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. 4Where wast thou (=were you) when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. 5Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? 6Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; 7When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"

Yes, this makes perfect, wonderful sense!

@denisestlouie,

Hello Denise, Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings about your faith and your sister's support. It's beautiful that you're both believers, even if you interpret God's role differently. Your reflections on Job and the complexities of prayer and where does God fit in are thought-provoking, even for me, as a Christian. It's admirable that you're focusing on gratitude and finding reasons to be thankful, even in challenging times. My surgical oncologist encouraged me to be positive. I found positivity and strength in my faith through prayer, reading, and audibly listening to God's Word and encouraging messages from ministers like Charles Stanley. I also had family members and prayer warriors from church praying for me.

Scriptures that I memorized were also very powerful. Three of my favorites are Psalm 23, Jeremiah 29:11, and Philippians 4:6-7, which encourages prayer and thanksgiving in all circumstances.

You're in a very tough and introspective place. That's okay. Sometimes, questioning our faith can lead to a deeper understanding and connection. Your approach to prayer as a means of expressing gratitude rather than seeking specific outcomes is a personal and between you and God. As you draw close to Hom, He will do the same.

This is a great forum for addressing questions or concerns that you're grappling with, and personal experiences and stories can be incredibly powerful in shaping one's beliefs and understanding. They often provide a depth and authenticity that can be really meaningful.

Personally, I was diagnosed with stage IVB endometrial cancer, and after having folks pray over me, I believed I was completely healed and didn't want to pursue chemotherapy. However, my husband wasn't convinced, pointing out that faith without works is dead. We found common ground by connecting with other believers who helped us explore how our faith could complement medical treatment rather than replace it. We trusted in God's sovereignty and that He created everything, including the medicine, and that He's the ultimate Healer. This understanding allowed us to put our faith in Him while still utilizing medical treatment. I also realized that my own faith played a role in my healing, reflecting on Jesus' words, 'Your faith has made you whole.' Ultimately, we have to be willing to receive healing.

Lastly, in the story of Job, after God speaks to Job from the whirlwind, Job responds with humility and acknowledges God's sovereignty (Job 42:1-6). Job doesn't demand an answer from God at this point; instead, he humbly submits to God's wisdom and power. Job's response shows a shift from seeking justification to acknowledging God's majesty and mystery. He essentially says, "I know I don't understand, but I trust in Your wisdom and power." This response demonstrates Job's growth in understanding and trust in God's sovereignty.

It's okay to ask why we have to suffer like did before she died, but we may not fully understand until we're beyond this life. We must trust and obey, knowing God's plan for our lives is perfect. Having experienced the loss of my mom to the same illness, yet living through it myself, I've come to realize that trust in Him is still essential. Scripture encourages us to trust Him, even when we don't understand. The stories of Job and Lot's wife serve as powerful examples of how to trust God through our circumstances or in spite of them, offering valuable lessons on faith, obedience, and perseverance. And, yes, there are blessings in store for us both now and in the afterlife! --To God be all the Glory!

I'm sure your sister's prayers and support mean a lot to you, and it's lovely that she's there for you.

May God bless you and continue to bring you to be heights in Him!

i'm a bit different on the way i see God.

All creation comes from God. Evolution is a part of all life. God gives humans free will we can choose a righteous life or not.

So with those statements - cancer evolved and behaves as we know it today, God does not punish humans in this world by sending them cancer or have them murdered or any such thing ("For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope" ).

Humans have the capacity to develop these treatments that help us achieve remission and these humans were formed by God. God wants us to use all available tools presented to us by our doctors.

I have lost 5 children (i have zero living children) i never once thought God punished me by taking my children from me. God was crying right beside me at the loss of each child. This is just the possible outcomes of humanity having free will, evolution, and genetics.

I had an incompetent cervix that would not allow me to carry a child to full term (all came to early and lived a very short life because of it) my cervix developed based on my genetics.

this same cervix allowed my endometrial cancer to be discovered very early since i was unable to carrying the growth of the thick lining. every 2 days i would have massive bleeding for 6 hours.

so was this cervix a curse or a blessing? it could not support the growth of life but it gave me more years of life by having my cancer diagnosed early.

i say neither, for God does not harm his creation. it was merely the product of evolution, genetics, and the free will of humans to study medicine and to develop the wonderful cancer treatments we can use today to prolong our lives.

i love the Lord with all my heart, i truly burst with joy in my worship of the Lord. i can do that with having be molested as a child, date rape as a young adult, having to bury 5 children, and having endometrial cancer.

i can do this because humans have free will to have harmed me as a child and young adult, genetics caused my child to die, and genetics gave me cancer but also caught my cancer early.

The Lord has only loved me every day of my life, has cried with me thru all my tears, and one day i will be with the Lord and we will finally be able to say the words face to face that we have been saying every day of my life on earth.