Though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand (Psalm 37:24 NIV).    

The great American inventor, Charles Kettering, owned 186 patents—including for most automobile parts using electricity. He is quoted as saying, “Keep on going and the chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone stumbling on something sitting down.”¹

I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, and like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you (Isaiah 44:22 NKJV).

I have a confession to make. Many times, my prayer life consists of asking God for answers or actions I need to take. Of course, God gladly receives and honors any prayers. However, I often treat God as a guru dispensing good advice or pearls of wisdom that I must implement. Yes, I return to the Lord. Yet, I still believe it is up to me to be more loving or forgiving or whatever direction God reveals. Consequently, I continue to run on the treadmill of good works, getting more exhausted every day.

For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV).

The children of Israel wanted to be like other nations and have a king. They chose Saul as their king. However, King Saul developed a rebellious nature. Thus, God instructed Samuel, God’s prophet, to pick one of Jesse’s sons as king. The children of Israel had tried it their own way. But Saul had turned his back on God. Subsequently, God informed Samuel of a better way to find a faithful king. Samuel is told to look at the heart and not the outward appearance.

Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it (Judges 16:30 NIV).

Whether we’re talking about comic books or blockbuster movies, dreaded enemies too often have a way of showing up again and again. They’re like the Philistines from the Bible, always showing back up to battle God’s people, the Israelites. Perhaps you remember the story of Delilah betraying the mighty Samson, leaving him weak, captured, and sentenced to die. As a last request, God gave Samson the strength to pull apart the pillars of the pagan temple, crushing the enemy inside.

Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire (Jeremiah 36:23 NIV).

Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, was given a word from the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah. Jehudi, the king’s attendant, read the scroll containing God’s Word to Jehoiakim. The message was not what the king wanted to hear. The king had the scroll cut into pieces and burned in a firepot.

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12 NIV).

“Numbering our days” is a curious expression. It doesn’t mean counting the days you have been alive, although that is an interesting exercise.

Numbering our days also doesn’t mean counting how many days we think we have left to live. That can be a real downer, and not our job. David wrote, “My times are in your hands” (Psalm 31:15 NIV). Only God knows when your life on earth will end.

But I cry to you for help, Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you (Psalm 88:13 NIV).

Psalm 88 is a prayer from a place of deep distress. After twelve agonizing verses, the psalmist says, “but I cry to you for help, Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you.” Here we see a template on how to cope with despair.

When Mary met Jesus, she looked at him, and then fell down at his feet. “If only you had been here, Lord,” she said, “my brother would never have died” (John 11:32 PHI).

Have you ever questioned, “What if…?” Or have you ever thought, “If only.…” in response to some tragedy in life?

If so, you are in good company. People throughout the Bible have asked the same question. One of the more familiar examples occurred in relation to Jesus after the death of his friend, Lazarus.

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:11-13 ESV).

What if the only things you woke up with today were the same things you thanked God for yesterday? Would you wake up with very much? So often we go about our days with a spirit of discontentment. We spend our time thinking that if only _____________ was different, then we would be happy. If only I had that new gadget. If only my kids would clean their room. If only I could afford to pay that bill. If only my cancer was gone. If only.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 NIV).

Your cancer journey may bring to the surface deep regrets, missed opportunities, and mistakes. Memories of hurting others and letting God down may overwhelm you. Feeling helpless to right any wrongs, you may cry out like David, “My sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me” (Psalm 40:12 NIV). 

Hope delayed makes the heart sick; longing fulfilled is a tree of life (Proverbs 13:12 CEB).

Radiation I received for cancer on my esophagus badly damaged it. For the next couple of years, swallowing became nearly impossible. Treatment has required multiple endoscopies, feeding tubes, surgery, hospitalizations, and a stent placed in my esophagus for several weeks to keep it open and hopefully help it heal.

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23-24 NIV).

Ann was a dear patient we had the opportunity to serve at Maple Tree Cancer Alliance for more than a year. When she first came to us, it was obvious that she felt defeated by life. Ann grew up in an abusive household and married a man who continued the cycle of abuse. Her stress was so severe that her physician suggested it could have been the root cause of her breast cancer. She told us that she couldn’t sleep. She had a hard time eating. She was alienated from her family and could not maintain long-lasting friendships. She felt worthless and utterly alone. She even mused that “it would be good if cancer would end [her] life,” because she didn’t see the point in living.

Now then, tell my servant David, “This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel” (1 Chronicles 17:7 NIV).

I just had my fiftieth high school reunion. How is that possible? Classmates were asked to submit a brief summary of their lives. It was fascinating to read the stories. One person went to law school, decided it was not for him and started a gardening business. Another, who was quiet and unassuming, became a leader in his community. A life review can be a revealing exercise. We see how God has worked in our lives. And it brings assurance that He will continue His work in us.

… careless in the care of God (Matthew 6:26 MSG).

Cancer is scary. The uncertainty, unknowns, and demands can be overwhelming. You’ve never had more reason to worry, yet Jesus tells you not to. He invites you to be “careless in the care of God” (Matthew 26:6 MSG).

Our two standard poodles, Molly and Poppy, live the good life—food twice a day, plenty of treats, long walks, and naps, a fenced-in yard for playing, and sleeping by our bed (sometimes on it).

He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber (Psalm 121:3 NIV).

While hiking in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, I was headed up a rather steep section of our trail when I glanced up, hoping to catch a glimpse of the trail’s summit. I wanted to see how much farther of a climb we still had ahead of us. Suddenly, I felt a rock beneath my right foot begin to slide, and in what seemed like slow motion, my entire body went backward and down onto the rocky soil below.

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! ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“Heaven’s my throne, earth is my footstool. What sort of house could you build for me? What holiday spot reserve for me? I made all this! I own all this!” God’s Decree. “But there is something I’m looking for: a person simple and plain, reverently responsive to what I say” (Isaiah 66:2 MSG).

I was called by a lady who was a member of the church I attended. She told me of her daughter’s boyfriend who was dying of an aggressive form of cancer. She asked if I could go see him. When I entered his room, I saw a young man who couldn’t have weighed more than 100 pounds.

Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are the work of your hand (Isaiah 64:8 NIV).

One Christmas, my daddy gave my older daughter, Grace, a kit for making pottery. She took the clay and worked with care and purpose in molding and shaping her creation into something special.

This image of Grace reminds me that our heavenly Father is the Divine Potter, and we are His clay. When we receive Him through faith, He begins to mold and shape us over time.

When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it” (John 11:4 NIV).

We see God’s glory in a breathtaking sunrise or a sunset. As the woman you are about to marry walks down the aisle toward you, dressed in her beautiful wedding gown. At the birth of a child and the surreal moment your eyes first meet. In these kinds of moments, God’s glory is hard to miss. But seeing God’s glory in sickness and death; well, that is harder.

So the wall was finished in fifty-two days. And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God (Nehemiah 6:15-16 ESV).

 Nehemiah was a layman and a cupbearer to the great King Artaxerxes, who ruled Persia from 464 to 423 B.C. “Nehemiah” means "the Lord has comforted." 

 Nehemiah was one of the Jews in captivity in Babylon. His heart was troubled by reports of Jerusalem, the holy city of his people, lying in ruins, with the walls broken down and the gates destroyed by fire.