AS LONG AS I HAVE BREATH

 

OCTOBER 12, 2023

1 Peter 5:7

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. 

Psalm 56:8

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in Your book. 

 

Don’t rely on Google for medical advice. Always check it out. That is the advice from the author of “As Long As I Have Breath.” She had breast cancer, but because of something she read on Google, caused her to think she didn’t. Unfortunately, that delayed her treatment, which meant things got worse quickly.

The bottom line is that her cancer had spread to other parts of her body. After many months of distressing and at times torturous treatment, she faces the reality that her cancer is “treatable but not curable.”

But here she was. What now? After all, this is not what she wanted or expected or planned for or prayed for. She is described by all who know her as a strong believer in Jesus. What do you do when the doctors say, “We can’t cure you”?

Here is her answer:

I have a deep faith and trust that the Lord is always with me. … I find joy in life. It is my desire to spread that joy to others as best I can. So as long as I have breath, I will continue to spread God’s faithful love for us and the joy I experience.

Despite her cancer, she is finding joy in the journey and she has found it in a most unlikely place.

 

Our faith in God is one of the most valuable assets that we have and therefore important to look after. At times our trust in God gets misplaced due to the circumstances of our life. The faith and trust that we need to have in God gets substituted by our situation, or our work, or friends, family, and finances. We tend to rely on other things more God.

To trust is to believe in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of something. So, when it comes to trusting God, that means believing in His reliability, His Word, His ability, and His strength. The Bible says that God always keeps His promises. That He loves us and has good in store for us. Trusting in God means believing what He says about Himself, about the world and about us is true.

Trusting God is more than a feeling; it’s having the assurance that what He says even when your feelings or circumstances would have you believe something different. Your feelings and circumstances matter and are very much worth paying attention to. God cares about them both. But those things alone are not reliable enough to base your life on. They can change at any moment, even in an instant. God, on the other hand, does not change. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and therefore is worthy of your trust. Trusting God is not about ignoring reality. It is not pretending that everything is OK when it isn’t. Trusting God is living a life of belief in and obedience to God even when it’s difficult.

If you trust someone, you feel comfortable being honest with them about anything. God is much more reliable than even your most trustworthy friend. When things feel difficult, He doesn’t ask you to keep those feelings to yourself. 

Because God loves you, you can show your trust in Him by talking about all your feelings and circumstances with Him — the good and hard — through prayer. Don’t let your emotions rule your life; bring them to God so He can help you address them. He is not disappointed or frustrated by your struggles, doubts or pain. He cares about you, and you can trust Him with those things.

He cares for your hurts. He pays attention. How comforting it is to know that the God of the universe is also paying attention to you. Knowing that God is for you will strengthen your trust in Him during times of hardship and the unknown.

When the righteous cry for help,
the LORD hears and delivers them
out of all their troubles. (Psalm 34:17, ESV)

The unknown things in our lives are hard. Rarely welcome, they intrude on our sense of well-being.

Are you facing an uncertain future right now? Do you long for the assurance of a specific outcome? Does it seem like the less you know and the longer you wait, the more anxiety and fear chase away your peace of mind?

God cares about you and what’s going on in your life right now. He is with you during what you’re facing, and I believe with all my being, He will help you in your uncertainty and suffering.

 

LET US PRAY

God,

Help me not to fear the future but to boldly trust that you are in control when my emotions plunge me down, and when I am in despair. And times when I can't talk and don't know what to say, help me to “Be still, and know that you are God”. Be my comforter, my healer and bring me peace. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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