A Brand-New Thing, October 17
Inside the Cancer Journey: Daily Reflections for Those Coping with Cancer
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By David Gira
Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? (Isaiah 43:18-19a MSG)
Same blood draw. Same scan. Same chemo. A seven-day pillbox. Another long wait. Another bill. Back-to-back days of radiation. Dealing with cancer can get sooooo old. Take heart, God is about to do a brand-new thing!
The prophet Isaiah prophesied and warned the people of Israel during the latter part of the eighth century B.C. Due to their unfaithfulness, Babylon—a powerful nation—would destroy Israel and send God’s people into exile. One hundred years before it happened, Isaiah foresaw the devastation, loss, and suffering his people would experience living and serving as strangers in a strange land for roughly seventy years. Exile would get very old.
In our verse for today, Isaiah also prophesied God’s vision of hope: “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?”
God would soon forgive the Israelites, make a “road through the desert” (Isaiah 43:19b MSG), and bring them home in a way never before seen or imagined. God raised up a more powerful nation, the Persian Empire, and they conquered Babylon. Persia’s king, Cyrus the Great, ordered the exiles to return home. He showed Israel great favor, even supporting their efforts to build a new temple.
More remarkably, Isaiah saw hundreds of years beyond the exiles’ return to the coming of God’s Messiah, Jesus. He would be THE truly “new thing,” bringing every person exiled by sin and death home to God. Those who believed in Him would receive new life, new freedom, and a new start. Jesus would make each person who believed in Him a new creation (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). In the end, He will make all things new (see Revelation 21:5), a new cancer-free heaven and Earth.
Cancer can feel like exile as days drag on with no end in sight. Can I ever go back to the life I knew before diagnosis? Am I strong enough to survive? Why, God? Uncertainties, unknowns, pain, suffering, struggle, fear, and the loss of normalcy … they overwhelm and frighten us. We long for liberation and homecoming.
To us, as to the exiles, God proclaims, “I am about to do a new thing.” This new thing could be anything! God’s surprising provisions. An open door. A friend sent. Reconciled relationships. Intimacy with God. Good scan results. Enduring hope after bad results. Treatment success. Purpose for suffering. Newfound courage and strength. A new opportunity. Healing. Who knows? God may employ your cancer to conquer your Babylon. God can use your cancer to heal you in many ways and He can heal you physically. He can create a whole new you (see 2 Corinthians 5:17).
Can you perceive this new thing? It is not easy when you’re living with cancer. God may be working in front of your eyes, but to perceive the new thing you have to look for it in faith. “Seek and you will find,” Jesus said (Mathew 7:7 NIV). In other words, believe it, and you will see it!
Pray: Lord, thank You for the new things that You have done and continue to do. Deliver me from cancer and make me more like Jesus. Do a brand-new thing in my life, and help me to perceive it. Amen.
Your Turn: “I See A Victory” by Elevation Worship praises God for the saving work He is doing and will do. What new thing might God be doing now in your cancer journey? What do you want God to do? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
Michael David Gira, Jr., Cancer Survivor
David was an ordained United Methodist Pastor and graduate of Duke Divinity School. He and his wife, Amy, lived in Raleigh, North Carolina with their three children. In 2017 he was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. In his book, How Cancer Cured Me, he shares many ways he experienced God’s healing. After a seven-year battle with cancer, David is now joyously singing praises in God’s glorious throne room. His legacy lives on through his writing for Cancer Companions, as he continues to proclaim Christ’s hope and healing power to others experiencing cancer. https://www.davidgira.com/how-cancer-cured-me
Cancer Companion’s vision for the future is for every person impacted by cancer to know the hope, love, and grace of Jesus and that every oncology team has included faith in their treatment toolbox. By 2033, Cancer Companions will provide 5 million engagements through cancer prayers, scriptures and interactions to those impacted by cancer. Engagements include; social media outreach, e-newsletters, prayer team requests, 30 days of Cancer Prayer event, and volunteer connections.
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