March 30
Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
Psalm 5:2
Recognition of where our greatest help comes from is vital. Without a strong spiritual center we are easily lost and demoralized. Without a belief that we have other, deeper resources upon which to draw, we are quickly distracted and discouraged. When we seek our internal strength from an eternal source of help and hope, we open ourselves to power and possibilities that we could not know merely on our own. Cancer is a journey that none of us can make by ourselves. It is one that requires us to reach out to tap into an intangible healing that this world cannot give. But God can. And God does. It is ours to have infinitely. All we need to do is open our hearts and minds to accept and nurture it.
I know, ultimately, that you do listen to me, dear God. My challenge is to listen more closely to you. What I need to do is make myself more available to you, by sharing with you my concerns and fears and by paying intimate attention to the answers you always give. Amen.
March 31
… "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it I grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."
Matthew 13:31-32
No matter how small our hope may be, as long as we have at least a glimmer of hope we have something fundamental upon which to build our healing. If we take that glimmer and nurture it, it will begin to take hold and grow within us. As it begins to grow within us it begins to change our thinking, our attitudes, our outlook and ultimately our very lives. When it changes our lives it can change our health. Hope is an essential tool for survival. Hope that is allowed to develop and mature will provide a refuge amidst the challenges, a respite in spite of the burdens and a relief among the trials of every kind that cancer brings. A growing hope provides a home for us to come to, a sanctuary from every trouble, every setback and every care.
It amazes me all the time. Whenever I call on the hope within me – the hope you give me – my confidence and expectations for healing grow. Dear God, thank you for planting hope within me and for cultivating it in my life. Amen.
April 1
The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord accepts my prayer.
Psalm 6:9
Actually, God hears all our prayers. We never need to fear that God’s ears are closed or that God turns away from our cries for help. We never need to worry that God doesn’t care. Indeed, God knows and understands our deepest concerns and our most essential needs. There is nothing we can or need to hide from God. God wants us to unburden ourselves of all our anxieties and apprehensions. God recognizes all that disquiets us and assures us of listening so that we may know we are not alone. Our prayers are never in vain. In fact, God knows our needs even before we ask, and is already at work responding to those needs and giving us new life again. We have the blessed assurance of God’s devoted attention and acceptance.
It is a great reassurance to know that you understand the cries of my heart, compassionate God, and reach out to answer me even before I turn to you. I am deeply grateful that you know me so well – and love me so much. Amen.
April 2
… "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will."
Matthew 11:25-26
Cancer calls us to a new level of understanding. Cancer confronts us with our cherished beliefs and long-held opinions and challenges us to examine them. Cancer compels us to give up what no longer works for us and asks us to establish new habits that create a healthier way of life. It asks us to start again and trust in the way children do – easily, enthusiastically and hopefully. It asks us to trust in ideas we have never considered before, ideas that bring healing and wholeness in brand new ways. It is imperative for us to consider fresh perspectives and thoughts that are more positive and valuable. When we embrace every component that can bring us healing we can strengthen ourselves and have greater resources at our disposal. When we open ourselves to consider with fresh minds it is astounding what we may learn.
Sometimes I close my mind to new ideas, thinking I know enough, O God. But I’m certainly learning that I have so much more to learn. Even when I resist I am grateful for the new perspectives you show me. I am better for them. Amen.
April 3
O Lord my God, in you I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me.
Psalm 7:1
Cancer can be incredibly relentless. Often the force with which it hits us and the way it keeps intruding on our lives can be devastating. We discover we cannot deal well with it on our own. Turning to connect with the peace and assurance God provides will inspire us with the strength and focus we need to meet the challenges with confidence. God’s power is greater and more relentless than anything cancer throws at us. God’s healing touch is eternal, outlasting any destructive force cancer can bring. Turning to God is fundamental when we feel overwhelmed and pursued. It reminds us from where our greatest help comes. Placing our lives in God’s hands tells us again and again that we have a partner in the journey, a partner who will provide us with every good and healing foundation we need.
When I can remember that you are right here with me, I am not so weighed down. Dear God, sometimes the burden seems impossible to deal with. But when I consider your presence and your promises I am given renewed relief again. Amen.
April 4
So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir through God.
Galatians 4:7
God does not want us to be enslaved to disease. The difficulties of this world are not what God wants us to inherit. While we may have to experience them for a while, they are certainly only temporary with God. What we may have to endure is only for now. But God wants us to be assured that there is something much greater in store for us. Beyond this transient distress is an inheritance that dispels all the problems this world brings. God offers us a greater world where pain is comforted, where disappointment is soothed and where hardship is turned to ease. We are not created by God to live in anguish or anxiety. Instead we are created for goodness, wholeness and peace. This is what God wants us to have. Believe in this inheritance, live reaching for it and it will be yours.
You love me more than I can understand, dear God. Your desire for my well-being is far greater than anything I can imagine. I hold onto this certainty to give me courage and strength when everything else seems so uncertain. Amen.
April 5
God is my shield …
Psalm 7:10a
We must commit this truth to our hearts and minds and never let it be forgotten. We need to understand that there is an eternal presence surrounding us in both the good times and the bad. God is a shelter and a haven. Everything that confronts us can be overcome. Every terrible thing we feel can be soothed. Every moment of fear can be resolved. Every enemy can be vanquished. And not only that, but when we look to God not just when times are bad, but also when they are good, we begin to grow stronger and this provides us with a better foundation for anything we may have to face. It is amazing what we can overcome when we turn to the One who is greater than anything this world can give us.
Infinite God, your presence in my life is far greater than anything I am able to comprehend or say. You guide me. You protect me. You help me. You heal me. You are the answer to all my needs and cares. Thank you, deeply and gratefully. Amen.
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