Walking With God Through CancerSample

Day 1: Discovering the Anchor of Grace

The word grace is beautiful. It’s an expression of God’s character and His interaction with us. The Hebrew Bible uses the word chesed, which means “grace, mercy, steadfast love, compassion.”*

The New Testament holds several beautiful instances in which we witness God’s chesed. In one noteworthy example in John 5, Jesus finds a man lying beside a healing pool, waiting for his chance for healing. The pool is called Beit Chesed in Hebrew, or Bethzatha in Aramaic, meaning “House of Loving‑Kindness or Grace.” Moved by compassion, Jesus heals the man instantly, demonstrating God’s grace in action. This scene is a powerful reminder of God’s limitless love and mercy toward us.

Later in the book of John, we find another instance of Jesus’s kindness and compassion. In John 21, the disciples return to their old fishing profession, perhaps out of perplexity and anxiety over what had happened just a few days before. However, despite their efforts, they catch no fish. (Interestingly, the Hebrew word for fish is dag, which shares the same root as the Hebrew word for fear and anxiety.) This illustration reminds us that our efforts may result in empty nets when we operate from a place of fear. Jesus stands on the shore, but the disciples do not recognize Him:

Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.” And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So, they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish (John 21:5‑6 NKJV).

In Jewish thought, the left side is the side of severity and strict judgment. We can learn from this interaction that our nets will be empty when we live in a place of criticism and severity. But conversely in Judaism, the right side is the side of chesed, meaning God’s loving-kindness, benevolence, and covenantal love. Nets fortified with love and chesed, God’s grace, are abundantly supplied and enduring.

These two stories have relevance for those of us who are struggling with cancer or know someone who is.

First, the man lying at the pool was just waiting for the next miracle. The man wanted Jesus to see things his way. Instead, Jesus told him to get up and walk, then told him to move on and live his life. Today, we face significant challenges as we endure this disease, but are we ready to accept God’s chesed? Sure, choosing to rely on His power can be difficult; but God’s presence, loving‑kindness, and grace must be our focus. We may stumble, but we must keep our eyes on His chesed for us.

The disciples were living out of fear and anxiety—the left side of the boat. Jesus turned their focus to the right side—the side of His grace and full nets. This helps us understand that despite this disease, we can live with abundance because of God’s grace. He loves us and wants our best. We can’t outrun His grace. It transforms us from self‑centered people into God‑focused followers.

A CLOSING THOUGHT

David wrote in Psalm 86:15, “But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness” (NLT).

David, despite difficult circumstances, didn’t give up hope. Why? He believed in and clung to God’s grace and loving‑kindness.

REFLECTION

Take a moment and read Psalm 86, focusing mainly on verses 10‑16.

• Under challenging circumstances, where did David turn?
• How would you describe David’s attitude toward God’s grace (chesed)?
• How would you describe your feelings about God’s grace?
• Have you chosen to receive His grace to help you navigate the many challenges of this disease?

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*The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016), under “grace.”