November 24
But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith?
Matthew 6:30
The scriptures remind us that we are God’s most intricate and loved creations. We are even more special and beautiful in God’s mind than all the majestic mountains, all the vast seas, all the splendid vistas and all the galaxies of the heavens. The wonder of creation is incredibly complex. Yet we are even more wonderful in the eyes of God. So why do we forget? Why do we worry and panic over what could come? Why do we lose today’s promise over what we fear might happen tomorrow? We forget God’s deeply expressed grace and love. Remember - God doesn’t forget us. God doesn’t abandon us. God is working to give us all the help and guidance we need. Always.
Faithful God, I’m sorry when I don’t remember your help for me yesterday or your promise for me tomorrow, much less your blessings for me right now, today. But I want today to be different. I need the faith to know you care. Amen.
November 25
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror.
Psalm 6:2b
There are days when we have to admit we are unbearably afraid. Deep down in our souls we feel utterly alone, agonizingly uncertain and frighteningly ready to give up. On those days, when we have nothing else left, we need to cry out to God. We need to pour out our fears openly and completely. God understands. God cares how we feel. When no other voice will calm us, when no other touch will comfort us, God’s love for us is the one thing strong enough to lift us from our despair. This love is the best gift we have to get through our darkest moments. It will never abandon us.
I can’t even begin to express what I’m going through some days. O God, even when I don’t know how to say how afraid I feel I am so grateful I can just call to you. You know just what I need. You know just what I feel. You know me better than I know myself. Amen.
November 26
My soul is also struck with terror, while you, O Lord -- how long?
Psalm 6:3
How much longer do I have to endure this? How much more do I have to put up with the fear? How much time do I have to give to a disease that I never wanted in the first place? Does the rest of my life have to be spent wondering…worrying…waiting? The days when my troubles seemed so much easier to manage seem so far away, so long gone. Will the terror that keeps cropping up inside me always remain? Is God listening to my fear? Does God really know what I am going through? Does God really care?
Answer me, today, O God, answer me and take away my anxiety. Take away my apprehension. Take away my concern. Take my disquietedness from me. You are the One who can help me, the One who can give me the vision I need for better days. Amen.
November 27
But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.
James 1:22
We must each take an active, positive leading role in our own healing and health. No one else can do that for us. Others can support. They can help. They can pray. They can encourage. But each of us has the right and the responsibility to take the lead in creating the conditions upon which our renewed life, energy and attitudes are based. No other person knows us better than we do ourselves. No one can create for us our inner strength and peace. Only we can do that – along with God – for our own well-being. Today, resolve to act in one more meaningful way. Create a better atmosphere for healing than you have ever created before. The difference it makes will help transform your life.
I need courage. I need faith. I need guidance. I need help, O Lord. This is the day you have made – a day for me to receive a wonderfully transforming spirit from you. Amen.
November 28
You came forth to save your people, to save your anointed.
Habakkuk 3:13a
Some of the most reassuring words of encouragement for the journey come from the people thousands of years ago who felt deeply separated from God. Those who struggled deeply, doubted continuously and cried out in distress loudly have written some of the world’s most passionate declarations of hope and restoration when they realized that God was with them through every danger, every toil and every snare. Even though there were many times when they questioned God’s inaction, the scriptures tell us time and again how they realized God was more involved and more faithful than they ever imagined. Their understanding of that kept them going. The same understanding can keep you going too.
God of my good times, God of my bad times, I know you are with me through them all. I know how you never abandon me or let me walk this path alone. Even when I don’t see you, I am reminded that you are always here. Thank you for being so constant. Amen.
November 29
Deliverance belongs to the Lord, may your blessings be on your people!
Psalm 3:8
We must never forget that our greatest hope comes from God. The one who created us and knows us better than we know ourselves is the one who can give us all that we need. God understands what is on our minds. God understands what is held deeply in our hearts. God understands what our bodies require. God understands what our spirits need. In this intimate understanding God guides us toward the healing power we need. Indeed, God does bless us with the means to find deliverance from all that distresses us and all that threatens our strength and well-being.
Thanks be to you, O God, for your great understanding of my needs. You know me better than I know myself. So I turn to you and listen for your voice, the voice that speaks of your healing ways. Amen.
November 30
‘He will command his angels concerning you’, and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’
Matthew 4:6b
God is with us every moment as we make our way through this life. That includes the present journey we are on with cancer. God is with us inside our hearts and minds. God’s spirit surrounds us everywhere we go. God provides loving and caring people to support, help and encourage us in countless ways. Our greatest hope is in remembering that we never need to go through this journey alone. In more ways and through more people than we can ever really know, God works out a purpose for us and offers us everything we need. Our simple task is to open ourselves up to hearing God and discerning God’s grace in our need and God’s will for our lives.
I know you send angels of mercy, angels of comfort, angels of healing and angels of encouragement to me constantly, loving God. I know you are reaching out to help and protect me in ways I can never fully appreciate. And I am grateful to you as I am reminded of this protection and grace today. Amen.
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