A Dessert Tray, January 14
Daily Reflections from Inside the Cancer Journey
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Written by Karen Tripp
“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him” (Psalm 34:8 NIV).
Have you ever been to one of those fancy restaurants with a dessert tray covered with gooey, yummy, irresistible desserts? It is hard to look at that tray and not think, "That sure does look good." But usually I am practical and say, "No thanks."
Then, do you know what happens? The table next to me orders the EXACT dessert I wanted, and I watch them eat MY dessert. By their distorted facial expressions, I can tell the dessert was delicious. If someone later asks me about the restaurant's desserts, I would tell them how great the desserts were ... but what is the truth? I don't really know how good it was, because I only looked at the desserts—I never actually tasted them.
In today’s verse you can see God wants you to "taste and see that the LORD is good." So, what's the difference between looking at, and actually tasting the Lord's goodness? Well, we can see others tasting the goodness of the Lord when they move out of their comfort zone and step out in faith.
Cancer has a reputation for tasting yucky. The taste of metal or nausea are common flavors of cancer, which only adds to that feeling of not wanting to taste anything—even your favorite dessert. Now you’re reading this devotional, telling you to taste the goodness of the Lord by stepping out in faith. “Are you kidding? Cancer is more about lying on the couch and making myself drink water than it is about stepping out anywhere.”
And yet, to sneak just a small taste of the goodness of God as you are waiting for your test results would be incredible. Remember on past occasions when you stepped out for God and tasted His goodness?
When your friend was upset, and God gave you the words to comfort them.
When the neighbors were gossiping, and you quietly walked away.
When you decided to put the twenty-dollar bill in the disabled guy’s cup.
Tasting God is when you know it was Him and not you. Does God guiding you into other people’s lives stop because you have cancer? It doesn’t have to.
The first step is prayer. Your prayers may sound like this:
“Lord, there’s this grumpy nurse at the chemo unit. Guide me to show her Your kindness.”
“Lord, my nephew needs more of You. Guide me to an opening to share about You.”
“Lord, my spouse is exhausted from caring and worrying about me. Guide me in ways to replenish them with Your goodness.”
Of course, after the praying comes the stepping out part.
I know stepping out is not easy, and the Lord knows it's not easy, too. That's why the rest of Psalm 34:8 says, "blessed is the one who takes refuge in him." Jesus wants you to come and taste His goodness—and when you do, He will be your refuge, your fortress, your rock. Don’t let the taste of cancer in your mouth steal your next sweet taste of the goodness of the Lord.
Pray: Jesus, take the taste of cancer away from me and fill me with the taste of Your goodness. Amen.
Your Turn: Think of three people that you find yourself praying for. Take a moment to lift up each person in prayer—but this time ask God what you can do to help.
Karen Tripp, MS, LMFT, Cancer Caregiver
Karen is the Executive Director of Cancer Companions, the premiere national Christian cancer ministry (https://www.cancercompanion.org). Her roles have included authoring several Christian books including God is Bigger Than Your Cancer and working as a licensed marriage and family therapist. She is a daughter of a colon cancer survivor. Karen uses her experience to teach how to step into another person’s struggle to help build their faith while strengthening your own.
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.
To learn more about our ministry and the services we provide visit our website by clicking here.
