God Is Not Done, November 6
Inside the Cancer Journey: Daily Reflections for Those Coping with Cancer
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By Tom Corbell
So we do not give up. Our body gets weak, but our heart gets new strength day after day (2 Corinthians 4:16 WE).
Anne and I were at a restaurant when I received a call from Hospice. A father was in an ICU unit and his daughter wanted to be married before he died. Within two hours the family was called to gather with me in the ICU unit. I had a few minutes to talk to the couple. They gave me the wedding license and I performed the service. When I got to the part where I asked, “Who gives this woman to marry this man?” I thought the mother would say, “I do.” To everyone’s total shock, the father raised his head and clearly said, “I do!” Tears flowed in that ICU unit from the family and hospital staff gathered together.
The father had not responded to anything for over a day. For certain I believe Paul’s words could never be more true: “… the Spirit helps us in our weakness” (Romans 8:26a ESV).
If you are reading this devotion, you are somehow connected with cancer. You may be fighting the battle of your life. You may be a loving caregiver or a cancer survivor. I don’t know your circumstances. I do know that God is not done.
Even as God pours Himself into you each day, revealing the wonders of your precious life, cancer narrows your view. Fatigue and worries seem to multiply. Time spent pushing back fears can strangle hope. Remember this truth: “So we do not give up. Our body gets weak, but our heart gets new strength day after day” (2 Corinthians 4:16 WE).
Paul is saying that you need to look beyond the weakness of your physical body to see the strength God is pouring into you each and every day. I think these words of the prophet Isaiah are applicable: “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength” (Isaiah 40:28-29 ESV).
For each new day, breathe in the possibilities. God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. This is done not through your physical strength, but according to His power that is at work within you. (See Ephesians 3:20.)
Pray: Lord, thank You for Your strength when I am weak and in need. Amen.
Your Turn: When you are feeling weak and hopeless, call out to God for the needed strength that only He can give. Listen to the words of Hillsong in "You Are My Strength," and feel the arms of God wrapped around you: “In the fullness of Your grace, in the power of Your name, You lift me up…. You are my strength, strength like no other."
Tom Corbell, Hospice Pastor
Tom is a Lutheran pastor who has served Jesus in both North and South Carolina for forty-nine years. Six of those years he worked as a Hospice Chaplain, and he encountered cancer daily. The privilege of praying, working with and supporting cancer patients and their families is an honor.
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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