I have good news regarding my battle with cancer. I completed six months of chemo, and the follow up MRI indicated the tumors have been reduced to negligible size. My doctor is thrilled about the impact of the treatment protocol, and said this is the first time in his career he has seen tumors reduced this much in a patient in my condition.
Next step will be surgery, most likely in early January. With the significant reduction in tumor size, the hope is that they will be able to remove all of the cancer. It’s possible we will follow up the surgery with radiation, but that depends on the results of the surgery.
Thank you for all of your prayers. God is good!
Proverbs 2.20-22
“So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it, but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.”
Life in focus is lived on-path. Indeed, scripture speaks constantly and repeatedly about staying on-path and avoiding anything that would take you off-path. The importance of this message is reflected in the fact that the Old Testament uses the word “path” 620 times.
Proverbs chapter 2 in particular repeatedly refers to walking on the right path and following the right way.
“The paths of justice” in verse 8.
“The ways of his saints” in verse 8.
“Every good path” in verse 9.
“The paths of uprightness” in verse 13
“The paths of life” in verse 19
“The way of the good” in verse 20.
“The paths of righteousness” in verse 20.
The point is that there are two very different ways to live your life: on-path or off-path. The on-path life is lived in obedience to God’s truth. It is directed by the Lord’s standards of rightness and is guided by his wisdom. This is life in focus.
The off-path life is the way of foolish people. It is directed by impulse and self-centeredness and does not follow God’s standards.
Read Proverbs chapter 2 carefully, and note how Proverbs describes the off-path life:
“The way of evil.”
“The paths of darkness.”
“Crooked paths.”
“Devious ways.”
Life is a constant battle for which path you are going to follow. The challenge is that the off-path life is easy, attractive, and popular, whereas the on-path life is often inconvenient, uncomfortable, and unpopular. This is precisely Jesus’ message in the Sermon on the Mount:
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
Thus the central message of the book of Proverbs: The Lord’s wisdom gives you the discipline to stay on-path, as well as the discernment to recognize and reject the deceitful people and distorted ideas that want to take you off-path. Be watchful every day about the path you are following.
