Week of January 7 - 13

January 7

For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you.
     Isaiah 60:2

In this life there will always be times when difficulties and dilemmas confront us. Even when much is going well there is always something to bring darkness to our lives. All around us – and often within – we each struggle in our own ways with uncertainties, fears, unpleasant realities and regrets. In the darkness that descends when cancer enters our lives it often becomes impossible to see any light or any hope in our circumstances. But this passage reminds us no matter how dark or hopeless it may seem, that God is working to lift us, protect us, help us, deliver us and save from defeat and despair.

I can hardly comprehend how deeply you watch over me and how carefully you look after my needs. Yet even in my limited understanding of your deep love, I am reassured that your grace gives me everything I need, O God. Amen. 


January 8

For a long time I have held my peace, I have kept still and restrained myself; now I cry out like a woman in labor, I will gasp and pant.
     Isaiah 42:14

Many of us try to be tough and stoic when we are dealing with cancer. We don’t like to be a burden or we find it hard to accept much of the help and care we really need. While strength and resolve are certainly good traits to possess, there are times when we just need to let go of our toughness and let our feelings out. There can be nothing more satisfying than to just share what we are going through. There can be nothing more helpful than to pour out our frustrations, resentments, anxieties and deepest concerns to someone we trust. It is genuinely healing to be able to express what is truly on our hearts and minds. This kind of confession is truly good for our health and our souls.

In reality, dear God, I know you already understand my deepest fears and needs even before I do. You are already reaching out to alleviate my pain and direct my path. I’m so grateful you know me so well. Help to share my most intimate thoughts so that I will understand myself much better too. Amen. 


January 9

Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it:
     Isaiah 42:5

The creator of this world and our lives is the source of everything we have and all that we need. When God created this world God declared all creation to be good. God’s spirit of love, hope, peace, joy and eternity has been created within each of us. And within each of us there exists a wellspring of possibility and promise that we need to draw from as we live with cancer. Within us all there is already a power to heal that few of us realize exists. God has placed it there. Just knowing that we are made with God’s spirit within us gives us a tremendous built-in capacity to find renewal and restoration exactly when we need them most.

God of renewal, God of restoration, help me to see and use the power you have already created within me to find the strength I need today. Amen. 


January 10

I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations.
     Isaiah 42:6

Isaiah continues to reaffirm God’s deep concern and love for us. God creates virtue and goodness within us. God guides us by the hand and watches over us to protect us from the ravages of disease and pain. God has made eternal promises to us to always stay with us. God has made us to share love and hope to a world often plunged in darkness and despair. All this can serve as blessed reassurance that no matter how difficult our journey with cancer may be, we have God to help us deal with it, travel through it and rise above it.

To know that I am never left to face this – or any - day alone is of great comfort to me, O God. I know you have made a promise to always be with me and I am so grateful for that. Amen.


January 11

To open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.
     Isaiah 42:7

Because God loves us so much, God wants us to see all that is best for us. Because God wants us to live in joy and peace, God wants us to be released from all the chains that bind us from living fully and well. Because God is a God of light and illumination, God wants us to come out from the darkness that clouds our thinking, restrains our spirits and inhibits our souls. God does not want cancer to blind us to hope, imprison us to fear or plunge us into distress. Please know that these things need not be the final word for any of us. But know that a clearer, freer and brighter day awaits – with God as our guide.

Open my eyes that I may see all the truth and healing you have for me, dear God. I need your vision and your perspective today. Amen.


January 12

See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them.
     Isaiah 42:9

God wants us to be renewed. God wants us to be restored. God wants us to be revitalized. God wants us to be refreshed. And God doesn’t want us to have to wait to begin to see, know and realize the new life we are able to achieve. Even before we begin to understand the goodness that is in store for us, God is letting us know that it is coming. This promise of coming goodness can serve as a vital sign of hope for us. Cancer often robs us of our hope and we have to struggle to regain it again. These words remind us not to give up on hope. They remind us to rely on the very real dawn of a new day where all that confronts and threatens us melts blessedly away.

On this new day of life, I cling to the vision you share of better days for me. I hold onto the assurance that I can rise above my troubles and triumph over my pain. Dear God, your promises give power to this day. Amen. 


January 13

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
     I Corinthians 3:16

Each of us is very special and important to God. God created us lovingly, carefully, and intricately. We have been made in the divine image of God, filled with potential for wonder, goodness and joy. The purpose of our lives is to reflect God’s love and grace, to use our lives as a witness to God’s eternal gifts of peace and hope. Even when we are confronted with cancer - especially when we are confronted with cancer – it is essential for us to remember how extraordinary and significant we are. When disease puts us to a fundamental test, knowing how vital we are in God’s eyes can give us the confidence we need to face our challenges with steadfastness, trust and resolve.

Sometimes I don’t feel so significant, when I’m worn down, broken and afraid. But I begin to feel so much better when I am reminded of your deep love. You know me beyond compare. I am deeply grateful for your devotion and care, O God. Amen.