The Truth Is God is Good - Pastor Keith Walker
A conversation between Pastor Keith Walker (guest) and Devaughn Williamson (host).
Keith Walker had a good life at 40. He had a thriving career, a loving family, and nothing to be too concerned by. Then, in the winter of 2006, Keith received a diagnosis that would test his faith in unimaginable ways.
Right before Christmas, Keith underwent a routine check-up and scan after battling with a persistent cough for several weeks. He recounts being told by the doctor that a mass was found in his trachea and that they would need to consult with other specialists to properly diagnose what could be going on. While his doctor initially reassured him it was likely not cancerous, pathology labs confirmed malignancy and made Keith’s fears come to life. His situation was now undeniable. He had cancer.
Keith’s cancer diagnosis was rare and life-threatening. Only a handful of surgeons in the United States were properly trained to be able to surgically remove the tumor in his throat and treat the cancer growing there.
In the midst of these challenges, Keith’s faith began to deepen. While he prepared his body and his mind for surgery and treatment, he worked his faith in preparation for LIFE. Keith recalls a specific moment during this season when he attended a wedding and watched a bride walk down the aisle to her father. This moment was engrained in his brain as he wondered if he would have enough time left to do the same for his daughter. This made him even more determined to focus on his faith and see God in the land of the living.
Every morning, Keith read his Bible. He found verses that connected with his current struggle and made them personal. He prayed them back to God, believing in them the more he spoke them aloud. Keith trusted his surgical team, but he learned that the Word of God is more powerful than anything modern medicine can do.
The night before his surgery, Keith held his wife’s hand and wrestled with fear and unbelief. He remembers telling God as he was wheeled into surgery, “I trust you with my family and my future.” When he woke from his 8-hour procedure to stitches, tubes, and pain, he clung to Psalm 16:8: “I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (NIV). This became his mantra during his recovery and battle with cancer.
As Keith battled cancer, he saw God work in and through him to touch others. He had opportunities to connect with other cancer patients and encourage them and their families while being formed into an even better husband, father, and believer. Keith recognizes that God took what the enemy meant for evil and turned it to good.
Now, Keith leads a men’s Bible study and emphasizes the power that Scripture has to transform lives. He believes that God’s Word is foundational for strength and purpose and overcoming life’s challenges. Keith says, “What some would see as a tragedy, I see as a reminder of what I can endure and how faithful God is.”
Keith reflects often on his journey and his battle with cancer. He resonates with Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and understands what it means to, “Seek first the Kingdom of God.” His cancer diagnosis brought him face to face with his humanity and weaknesses. In learning to surrender to God and trust Him (and others), he learned that God’s goodness is never dependent on outcomes or circumstance.
Keith’s advice to believers is this: “Focus on what’s most important. Live with intentionality. Don’t wait for a crisis to turn to God–build that foundation now.”
God can turn even our darkest seasons and hardest challenges into testimonies of life and hope. Whatever it is you’re facing, know that you have a choice. You can believe the world and its report, or you can believe God and walk in faith.
If Keith’s story moved you, consider sharing it with someone who needs encouragement. And if you're able, partner with Faith Ignite to help bring more stories of hope to the world. Together, we can spread messages of God's faithfulness to those who need it most.
Devaughn Williamson President, Faith Ignite Inc
