Walking With God Through Cancerਨਮੂਨਾ

Day 4: Embracing Moments of Joy

Cancer is an awful disease. According to the World Health Organization, it is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020, or nearly one in six deaths. That’s bad. Yet having an attitude of joy rather than discouragement, fear, and doubt will refill your emotional gas tank.

Job 1:20‑22 (NJKV) shows us how we can have joy despite dire circumstances:

Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

After losing his property, his health, and his children, Job worshipped God. When nothing around him made sense, Job worshipped God. He took the focus away from his loss and himself and decided to focus outwardly on the Lord. In so doing, Job released his grief to God. Job never lost faith in God’s sovereignty (Romans 8:28; Job 23:10)—the God who could give and take away. He knew his God. He stood firm amid horrific circumstances and reflected on God’s goodness.

Second Corinthians 11:23‑29 gives us an idea of the dreadful circumstances in which the apostle Paul found himself. In these few verses, Paul detailed his numerous sufferings for Jesus, including imprisonments, countless beatings, and near‑death experiences. He endured being lashed, beaten with rods, stoned, and shipwrecked. He faced dangers from rivers, robbers, his people (the Jews), and Gentiles. Additionally, he experienced hardships such as hunger, thirst, cold, and exposure, and felt daily pressure because of his concern for all the churches. Despite these trials, his commitment to spreading the gospel never wavered.

Paul’s focus was not on himself or his circumstances. He focused on God and the gospel message God had given him to spread. In Ephesians 3, Paul emphasized a remarkable truth: He wasn’t caught off guard by his suffering; rather, he was amazed by the joy he found while in it. Suffering for Jesus is challenging, but every hardship is profoundly worth it for the joy and purpose it brings. Paul was a prisoner awaiting a Roman trial. Under house arrest, he was free to roam the house during the day but chained to a Roman guard at night. Yet, despite all the bad things that happened to him, Paul, like Job, found joy in the Lord. He even wrote the letter to the Philippians, which was all about joy!

A CLOSING THOUGHT

When we endure hardships with joy, faith, and confidence rather than bitterness, complaints, and anger, we become powerful witnesses to God’s love and honor Jesus in a profound way. Our steadfastness in adversity shines as a testament to His grace and strength in our lives.

REFLECTION

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

• How could the apostle Paul give thanks in all circumstances? (Here’s a clue: The verse says in all circumstances, not for all circumstances.)
• How can focusing on God and others refill your emotional gas tank?