Cast all your cares and anxiety on Jesus because he cares for you. He holds you in his right hand.
SHAUNA: Hi, I’m Shauna on Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and here’s Joni with a personal word of encouragement for you.
JONI: You know cancer is a word that can curdle the blood, and I should know. The chance of developing invasive breast cancer they say at some point in a woman's life is around 1 in 8 [yikes!]; and I was that one. However, eight years ago when I learned I had Stage III cancer, my fears were somewhat subdued when I was told that cancer is no longer labeled a terminal disease [isn’t that good to know?]. Thanks to improvements in treatment and early detection, today millions of women are surviving breast cancer.
And one of them might be you. Chances are, there’s someone listening right now who is either worried about either developing breast cancer, making decisions about treatment, or trying to deal with the ups and downs of chemotherapy. And I have learned from my own struggle that there are things you can do to make the most of your battle. Because first and foremost, yes, it is a battle. You are in the battle of your life [for your life], but hope abounds. Millions of women have gone through what you are now facing. And they have survived. In every community across America, there are breast cancer support groups. And its why October, as you know, is always referred to as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. There is plenty of help, plenty of information, and plenty of hope to go around.
And rest assured, [and here is the good news] Jesus has a tight grip on you in the battle. Even with cancer, Psalm 139:10 says, “Even there Lord your hand will lead me, and your right hand will lay hold of me.” Don’t you love it? Because when you hear that bad medical report, you are not going to faint because God is laying hold of you. And because the Lord is holding you fast, there is always hope. He even believes your fight against cancer should be a good one. We are told to fight [what?] the good fight, right? And even though you may feel as I once did – overwhelmed and a little fainthearted – you can find courage. It’s possible. I mean, when I was sick and nauseous from chemo, I discovered wonderful anchors for my soul that bolstered my spirit during the roughest days. So, if you don’t mind may I offer you some real hope with the following facts from God's Word? Because the Lord Jesus in this good fight, this battle against cancer; the Lord Jesus is your ever-present help in this very trouble you are in. God says in Isaiah 46, “I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
Don’t you love that? And when you are faced with life and death decisions, you can say with the Psalmist, “[God] I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel.” So, friend cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Oh, friend, these are all scriptures I have just quoted, and those insights can bolster your soul just as they did mine, it’s why I just had to pass these same anchors of scripture along to my fellow patients in that chemo lab, as well as the nurses and the technicians who were helping us all. Because as John Piper has said, “Cancer does not win if you die. Cancer only wins if you fail to trust Jesus Christ.”
One more thing. I have experienced the salvation, the deliverance, the rescue of God. All because of the lifeline of his Word. And I share all this to assure you that there is a lifeline for you too. If you’re struggling in miserable circumstances, hold fast to God’s lifeline. Hold fast to his Word. Grab on to it as never before. Because he promises you’ll see his goodness. You’ll be ok and you’ll be alright in the end. That is a great lifeline to hold onto.
© Joni and Friends