April 20
His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
2 Peter 1:3
We have been created to live abundantly in God’s image, to reflect the nature of God in everything we do. And that nature is one of healing, of joy and of peace. Anytime any one of us is not experiencing fully the nature of God, God actively works to provide it for us. God works to give us the help we need to reclaim what is our birthright as those created in God’s image. We have at our disposal, already, the means to be well and whole again wherever we need it, the way to experience delight every day and the ability to live in serenity. God wants nothing but goodness for us. When we are not healthy God wants nothing more for us than to find wholeness and well-being again. We need to claim this desire of God’s and hold tightly onto it. This knowledge and belief gives us hope and strength to meet each new day and everything each day brings.
Dear God of life and goodness, when the circumstances of my life wear me down I need to refocus my understandings and perspectives on you and your plans for me. I know they are plans for healing and joy, and when I forget, I need you to remind me again. Amen.
April 21
Therefore I intend to keep on reminding you of these things, though you know them already and are established in the truth that has come to you.
2 Peter 1:12
All of us need to keep coming back to the truth of who we are in this world God has made for us. When life gets rough, when we are threatened and vulnerable, we need to be reminded again and again how loved we are in the sight of God. Cancer can make us feel deeply alone. It can cause us to seem forgotten and abandoned. It can force us to think we will never see better days or health again. But the truth is we are not in this by ourselves. We are not deserted and discarded. We are instead given the help and the hope we need to find recovery and strength once more. God’s infinite and unconditional devotion to us stands as a beacon to us when our days are at their most difficult. We must never stop remembering that God does not want our distress to last.
There are plenty of days when I feel as if I am hanging on only by a thread. And I wonder when it will break and I will fall into bottomless despair. Tell me again, O God, that this will not last, that I will have better days ahead. Amen.
April 22
Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
Proverbs 16:3
We believe too often that we have to carry this burden of disease and recovery all on our own. We get so caught up in what we think we need to do that we forget to think about what God can do. And God can do just what we think we can’t. When the responsibilities seem too big, when the decisions seem too complex, when the answers seems too uncertain, we will discover relief when we remember that this is not a load we must carry by ourselves. God is constantly providing us a way so that cancer does not destroy us. God is already working on our behalf even before we realize what we need. God is forever offering to us help to carry the load and help to carry us when the load is too much. We need to allow God to work in us. Then we will find the path to be filled with so much more hope and peace.
I try to shoulder far more than I should, dear God. And then when it gets to be too hard I realize how much I need you to help see me through. Help me to realize that I need you sooner so that I don’t wait until I am so overwhelmed. Amen.
April 23
The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps.
Proverbs 16:9
God has given us great powers to direct and shape our lives. We have been given the gift of choice in how we carry out our days. Our minds are granted great authority to discern our path and direction. But we have also been created to look to God for the things we cannot perceive or understand on our own. When we forget that, we can find ourselves in trouble, floundering and being frightened in a multitude of ways. Because there is a much larger picture we cannot see, we need to allow God to lead us in the ways God knows are best. God often has surprises in store for us that may not be what we imagined or planned, wonderful surprises that are far better and stronger than anything we could imagine. Think today of those times when God had something far better planned for you than you ever could have planned for yourself. When you think about it you’ll be astounded at how many of those times there have been.
I like to think I know best, but, dear God, I cannot even begin to compare to you. So, when I am inclined to do something my way, a way that will not be best for my journey, please show me your better way and help me to embrace it for my own good. Amen.
April 24
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.
I John 3: 1 a,b
A child of God. That is what every one of us is. We are created in a divine and special image to reflect God’s goodness, grace, wonder and love. God has created us to find joy and to grow to experience the awesome power and glory of eternity. When we suffer, God feels the hurt as well. When we are afraid, God understands our anxiety. When we are overwhelmed, God experiences the burden with us. Through it all God also reaches out to give us comfort, to calm our disquieted hearts and to lift the weight of our distress. When we feel as if this disease is too much for us, as if we don’t have a way out or we can never have better days, God reassures us constantly that we are loved and cherished – and helped and guided – no matter how difficult the day.
Today, O God, I am given greater strength because I know I belong to you. That you have created me and treasure me beyond any words I can express provides incredible comfort. When I am feeling down and questioning how I can go on, it is very reassuring to know you care so much for me. Amen.
April 25
Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.
I John 3:2
Do you really believe you have been created in the image of God? Do you really accept you are loved unconditionally? Do you really comprehend God wants nothing but wholeness and healing for you? Do you really know God forgives you? Do you really trust God is reaching out with loving, healing arms to strengthen and guide you? On this journey of survival it is deeply important that you do realize all these things. When you understand how precious and vital your life and well-being are in God eyes, you gain a source of power and purpose that is stronger than anything else you can have in your life. Trust in the grace of a God who cherishes and never fails you. Hold onto the promises of this God who is our greatest hope, our healing rock.
Because you made me you know me. You know me as I am. You know just what I need. I don’t even know myself as well as you know who I am. In your intimate understanding, O God, please reach out to show me everything I need. Amen.
April 26
And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
I John 3:3
When we realize our deep worth to God we gain a new perspective about life and our purpose in it. We appreciate that our mistakes are behind us and forgotten. We recognize that we have been put here to make a difference. We comprehend that we have been blessed with gifts of abundance to nurture and to share. When we understand that God has a divine purpose for us we begin to live in a new and different way. That way has more joy in it, more love, more peace and ultimately more hope. This special knowledge is essential to finding meaning in our cancer and the motivation to survive it. Today, be reassured that your healing is of great value to God. Believe that you deserve to find healing and live as if you are already claiming healing as your own.
I need to know my worth, dear God. Often when I am feeling tired or alone or afraid I forget how precious my life is to you. I need my life to be just as valued by me, too. Amen.
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