God Gives You Hope AND Promises, December 8
By Karen Tripp
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. For no word from God will ever fail” (Luke 1:35,37 NIV).
Hope is an interesting thing. You can have a hopeful feeling or a hopeful thought, but to discover what truly brings you hope, you have to look at where you are putting it. Where do you put your hope?
There is something about a cancer walk that makes us want to keep our hope in check, even though there are many things to place our hope in. You can place your hope in a treatment or medicine, or even a doctor or cancer center. The oncology world is filled with super-smart people who have done years of research and share decades of experience to determine the absolute best course of action for your cancer walk. This is a HUGE blessing, and certainly no small thing. But think about it; even though the cancer community may speak of hope, you may have noticed that cancer patients typically hear very few promises.
Hope in God is different, because He backs His hope up with His promises. Think about this: God gives you hope AND promises. Let’s see how this is true in the Christmas story.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, placed her hope in God for what was surely the wildest adventure any teenage girl has ever taken. In today’s verses, an angel came to Mary to tell her what was to come. Now, I have not personally had a conversation with an angel, but looking at Mary’s, I get the impression that it is no small thing. Gabriel was a messenger from God to tell Mary the word of God. And did you catch that last line? That no word of God will ever fail. Soak that in. If you or I say, “I give you my word,” what we are really saying is, “I will try with everything I have to not let you down.” When God gives His word, He’s saying, “Done.” It doesn’t matter what happens in the world around you, God’s word will not fail you.
In the Bible, sometimes God makes a promise that applies to each and every one of us. Other times He has promises for specific groups or people, like the disciples or the Israelites. And then there are times He gives His word to a specific person. Gabriel came to Mary to tell her promises that God made directly to her.
I’ll grant you, it warms the heart to see these precious promises God made to Mary, but what about you? What promises has God made for you to hold on to during your cancer walk? Let’s check out just a few:
· I have received His favor. (See Proverbs 8:35.)
· God is with me ALWAYS. (See Matthew 28:20.)
· I do not need to be afraid. (See Luke 12:32.)
· I am God’s precious child. (See Galatians 3:26.)
Picture how this day (and every day) of your cancer walk would change, if you focused on these promises fulfilled in YOU! What if you kept your eyes on these truths.
God’s word is the place to put your hope—He will not fail you! Hallelujah!
Pray: Lord God, Your promises are so precious to me. Give me a hunger to keep Your promises before me each and every day. Use these promises to teach me that You are bigger than anything that cancer can bring into my life. Your promises are powerful and true today and for all eternity. Amen.
Your Turn: Let’s try holding on to God’s promises one at a time. Look at the list of promises above. Choose one that resonates with you today. Place it on a note by your kitchen sink, put it into your calendar to show up every morning, or maybe find someone to tell that this is a promise you are holding onto. Find a way to blend it into your day.
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.
