Cancer: Encouragement for HealingSample

Day 2—His Love Conquers Fear. Yes, Really.

Cancer can strike fear into the most faithful of us. The fear of the unknown, what might happen, and what to do next can seem overwhelming. Our own frailty and the enemy of our souls, the devil, can work overtime in our thoughts and emotions with a barrage of "what-ifs" and "what will be our outcome?"

From God’s Word, we learn that fear is our biggest adversary, even greater than cancer itself (Ps. 64:1). That is why our Father so tenderly, and yet firmly, tells us in the Bible hundreds of times over not to be afraid. From the Old to the New Testament, He invites us to move past fear, worry, and anxiety. How is this accomplished? The Lord’s antidote to all fear is His love.

John, the apostle, tells us that perfect love casts out all fear, but how do we arrive at trusting the love of the Lord Jesus perfectly in our weakness, frailty, or pain? We begin by pouring over His Word and what He is saying. We take baby steps of faith to dare to believe what He is speaking even if others have failed us because He will not.

Take time to meditate upon God’s Words that speak of His love, care, forgiveness, and ability to heal. Doing this doesn’t mean we are in denial or not listening to our physicians, which is not genuine faith. It does mean that we are making a concentrated effort to keep our soul—our minds, emotions, ability to choose, and personalities—effectively focused upon His love as it revealed through His Word. Think of it as a daily prescription for your heart, life, and health.

Many of us doubt Jesus’s love for us personally. Am I right? I did for years—even as a minister of the gospel. I needed to accept His complete forgiveness for my sin even as I struggled with debilitating behaviors. God’s platform of forgiveness, grace, and love became the launching pad to emotional and physical healing for me.

If you do nothing else, saturate yourself in the knowledge of God’s love for you from His Word. Next, ask Him for the felt presence and experience of His love through the Holy Spirit. These two requests together will always defeat fear. But this is between you and Jesus. No one can do it for you.