Read Jeremiah 16:10-21
“Why has the Lord decreed such a great disaster against us? What wrong have we done? What sin have we committed against the Lord our God?”—Jeremiah 16:10 (NIV)
“You have an aggressive form of breast cancer.” I heard the oncologist’s words but was unsure how to process the information. Cancer evoked terrifying emotions as I faced a bleak future back in 2015. Despite my Christian faith, I felt a gripping fear that seemed to hold me hostage, something I had never experienced to this extent. So I did the only thing I could do with this frightening news; I turned to God and to scripture.
As I studied the Bible, God met me there. Night after night I found comfort in scripture. Even scripture I had read many times took on new and hope-filled meaning. Jeremiah’s prayer of confidence in God, “O Lord, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in time of distress” now became mine. Hearing God’s word in scripture gave me the peace I so desperately needed, and eventually my fear gave way to a remarkable calm.
After surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation I continue to be cancer free, but tomorrow is never certain. Yet we know that God holds our tomorrows, on this earth and throughout eternity. When I turned to scripture in my time of fear, God met me there. And what I discovered eventually turned my fear into faith and my worries into a clearer trust in God—whatever tomorrow brings.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your promise never to leave or forsake us. Grant peace and comfort to those who are suffering from life-threatening illnesses. Amen.
Thought for the day: When I turn to scripture, God will meet me there.
Teresa Todt, Illinois
