Cancer: The Blessings in the Curse

Posted on April 2, 2020 by Tony Casson

“I’ll take the blessing.”

“Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

“You have cancer.”

What frightening words those can be to hear. Those who have heard them know what I mean. What the brain interprets those words as is closer to, “You are going to die.”

So, yes, I have stage 3 lung cancer, and yes, I am going to die.

It just does not appear to be imminent. There will be a battle and most likely there will be times when I don’t feel like smiling and don’t feel very joyful, but no matter where this journey takes me, I know that I will always focus on the blessings that abound within what some may consider to be a curse.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13

I am already filled with the joy and peace of believing and I am always filled with hope, but let us pray that verse together for all who are confronted with similar trials and tribulations – or worse – so that they, too, can find the only kind of peace that can bring them the contentment needed to also always see the hope no matter what the situation. That peace is God’s peace and the contentment it fills our hearts with is not a contentment of acceptance. It is not a roll-over-and-accept-your-fate kind of resigned attitude.

It is the contentment of the heart that allows us to have confidence that, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14

That doesn’t mean we simply lie quietly and wait for death to come and take us. That means we listen quietly to what our magnificent God has to say about our situation. It means instead of running around in a panic with our eyes closed in fear, we need to sit quietly in confidence with our eyes wide open and see where He is pointing us.

He pointed me to what I feel is a great team of medical professionals at Kaiser Permanente in Washington, DC to attack the problem using the gifts that He gave them, and He has surrounded me with a remarkable group of loving, caring, friends who are like family to me. In addition, I have a wonderful loving family but they are, unfortunately, scattered all around the country and with Covid-19 totally upending everyday life, they will just have to believe that I am in the best possible hands.

While it is true that God is capable of performing miracles that astound and amaze, like parting the Red Sea, it is also true that the real miracles He performs are the ones He performs using His children. The doctors, the nurses, the lab technicians, the neighbors, the friends and the family all coming together to focus their talents, abilities, love, and prayers on someone in need.

In this case, little old me.

So am I cursed because I have cancer?

Of course not. I am blessed because I have God.

And so are you.

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April 2

Posted on April 2, 2020 by Tony Casson

TODAY IS…

an excellent day to comfort and encourage others.

“Therefore comfort one another with these words.”  1 Thessalonians 4:18 NASB

One of the Apostle Paul’s first letters was written to the church he had established at Thessalonica around A.D. 5.

Christianity was young and for many there was a high price to pay (just as in parts of the world today) for being a follower of Christ. Paul’s letter was meant to reassure them, for there was confusion among them as to when Christ would return. Many thought that His return would be sooner, rather than later, and Paul sought to reassure them that while there was no way to know when, it would indeed happen, just as the Lord had said.

In his letter he sought to comfort and encourage them and he stressed the importance of each one of them being there to comfort and encourage each other.

In today’s world, more than ever before, it is important that we all heed Paul’s words and offer comfort and encouragement to those around us. Today, and every day, we should offer ourselves as living examples of the strength, the joy and the peace that comes with the knowledge that Christ will return as promised. In the meantime, we must follow the example of Jesus and the words of Paul and reach out through our actions and our own words and offer comfort and encouragement to others.

Many new believers (and perhaps some who are not-so-new) have a very tentative grip on their faith.

Absorbing the beauty of God’s teachings can be overwhelming and those individuals may need the support of one who has had time to fully appreciate all that God expects of us and all that He has promised us.

In a letter to the church at Corinth a few years later, Paul stressed the importance of teaching others, and of reaching out to them.

“But everyone who prophecies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement, and comfort.” (1 Corinthians 14:3 NIV).

Some of us may think that we are not up to the task of teaching, but one doesn’t have to stand up in front of a group in a classroom to teach the lessons of Christ. All one needs to do is reach out to others in love and friendship and offer support, comfort and encouragement.

When we do this, we will not only be helping other human beings, we will be helping ourselves to fulfill God’s wishes.

*******

Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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April 1

Posted on April 1, 2020 by Tony Casson

TODAY IS…

a good day to not be fooled.

“For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”  1 Timothy 6:10 NASB

Do not allow yourself to use material success as a sign of God’s approval. Many people equate one with the other when they actually have very little to do with one another.

Some individuals of extremely modest means live lives that are devoted to following God’s instructions, living in a manner that pleases Him, and work tirelessly to help others live and grow with the Spirit of the Lord inside them.

These individuals definitely have God’s approval.

Conversely, there are many individuals who have experienced tremendous material success who do not have God’s approval.

In order to not be fooled or influenced by anything other than the truth, we must always look to the individual and not the material for signs of that approval.

Happiness is not the only thing that money cannot buy. It cannot buy God’s grace, peace, love forgiveness, joy, or a place with God in Heaven. The only currency accepted by God is the currency of faith. The only payment that will cancel our debt to the Lord is belief. The only check that can be written to satisfy our obligation to Jesus Christ cannot be written against funds we have in the bank. It must be written against the love we have in our hearts for the Lord, and for our fellow man.

Many of us experience frustration from time to time due to the success of others and mistakenly attribute that success to God showing more love to them than to us.

Do not be fooled; do not be tempted; do not be swayed.

It is becoming increasingly more difficult to escape the emphasis that is placed on having more, buying more, living grander, and chasing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

But don’t be fooled. The real treasure is in the rainbow itself, which is a gift from God.

Live a life that is true to the teachings of the Lord; give of yourself to others; be thankful to God each day for the very air you breathe; smile for the benefit of others, and you will find out one day that those who have lusted after money and compromised their very souls have been the ones who have been fooled.

*******

Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Today marks the 10th anniversary of the day I began serving my 4+ year prison sentence in Oakdale, LA where this book of devotions was written. Most people might mark this day in their calendars as a rather dark day in their lives.

I have a different way of looking at it: As I stepped through the door leading into prison, I took my first step on the path to freedom. Both while incarcerated, and since moving to Washington, DC upon my release, God has brought many, many truly amazing people alongside me on that path.

For sure I have stumbled, and I have struggled, but the past 10 years have been as different from the previous 57 as night is different from day, and I just want to take this opportunity to say:

“Lord, I am not worthy of the love you give me, but you love me anyway. You have blessed me in ways that are too numerous to count and with friends who have helped me see what being a true child of yours should look like. I am grateful for your constant grace, mercy, and forgiveness, and thankful that when I cried out to you at my greatest time of need, you didn’t turn away from me, as I had turned from you for so many years. Thank you.”

AUTHOR UPDATE 2020: This year is slightly different than other ‘anniversaries’ due to the fact that I was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. Yesterday was my first consultation with the oncologist and I learned several things:

I learned it is stage 3 cancer.

I learned the treatment plan.

I learned I am not afraid.

The prayer above is more meaningful today than it was last year when I wrote it. I am truly blessed, and I don’t mean I am blessed to have this disease in my body. I am blessed in that I know where to turn for the strength, courage, and contentment in my heart that will be required to deal with it. In this time of crisis, chaos, and uncertainty for the entire world, I am sure there are many who have individual, more personal, burdens to bear as well. Faith will be tested. Belief will be questioned. Trust in the Lord may be stretched almost to the breaking point. Pray for all of them that they, too, will know where to turn and that they will be secure in the knowledge that whatever the future brings, and no matter how long or short that future is, they need only, “Be still and know I am God.” Exodus 14:4.

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How Long, Oh Lord?

Posted on March 31, 2020 by Tony Casson

Timely, thought-provoking, and helpful, I think.

nanettekirsch's avatarFaith Runner

I keep looking for what God is up to in this one-of-a-kind Lent, one where it looks like this Easter will not bring the renewal here on earth that it won for us eternally.

One of the passages reverberating in my mind has been from Habakkuk—-perhaps because my pastor and dear friend, Jeff, whose family has been hit hard by COVID-19, also introduced me to Habakkuk, whose book begins:

O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,
and you will not listen?
Or cry to you “Violence!”
and you will not save?
Why do you make me see wrongdoing
and look at trouble?
Destruction and violence are before me;
strife and contention arise.

Habakkuk 1:2-3

Habakkuk, we feel you! If we only knew when this pandemic will wane. If we could know with certainty how long to “#stayathome.” If we knew when we could come out and come together…

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March 31

Posted on March 31, 2020 by Tony Casson

TODAY IS…

the day to believe what you are hearing.

“Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord.”  Jeremiah 32:8c NASB

Trust does not come easily for many of us.

Given our suspicious human nature, how can we be sure that what we are hearing is really coming from the Lord? Will any of us encounter a voice in a burning bush? It would be foolish to say that would never happen, but there just aren’t that many recorded instances of it occurring.

It is also not likely that we will get a letter, an email, or a phone call from Him either.

Asking God to fill us with the Holy Spirit enables us to “hear” what He has to say to us. When we are full of God’s spirit, it is the same as having all of those direct lines of communication open and operating. Some may think that this is silly, but those who “hear” God talking to them regularly know that it is anything but silly.

Since direction that comes from God is given through the Holy Spirit, it is important that we allow ourselves periods of peace, calm, and tranquility so we will be able to receive our direction clearly. Let there be no mistake; God has promised us that He will guide us. He has promised us that He will help us.

We should follow the example of Abraham who “…was fully convinced that God is able to do anything that He promises.” (Romans 4:21 NLT).

Not only do we have to be willing to believe what we are hearing, we must be ready to believe. For God will answer when the time is right.

“But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.” (Galatians 4:4 NLT).

We must trust, we must listen, and we must be ready.

When we have properly prepared our hearts and our minds, and when the right question has been asked and God feels we are ready for His response, we will truly “hear” His answer.

It is up to us to believe what we are hearing.

*******

Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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March 30

Posted on March 30, 2020 by Tony Casson

TODAY IS…

a fine day to look at the world around you.

“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and the sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” Romans 1:20 NLT

Many individuals without the benefit of vision will tell us that even someone who is blind can “see” the evidence of God’s existence in the world that surrounds us.

They will tell us all about the beauty of flowers; about the nurturing refreshment of the rain; about the perfect melodies sung by the birds. By connecting all of the other gifts of smell, taste, hearing, and touch with two of God’s most incredible creations – the heart and the mind – even those whose visible world is in darkness can “see” the beauty, the power, the love that makes us contemplate God with awe.

For those who have the gift of sight, there is no excuse for not being able to recognize that only a God of beauty and love could have created the heavens and this earth and filled them both with the incredible assortment of planets, stars, plants, creatures, and human beings that we see when we look around us.

Unfortunately, there will always be those who find it difficult to believe God exists.

There will even be those who will deny that He exists.

It is beyond human comprehension how anyone with eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to feel can possibly deny that what we experience when we look around us could only be the work of someone larger than the work itself. It could only be the work of a being of amazing vision and extraordinary power.

But it could also only be the work of someone of incredible kindness, love, and caring.

Many people choose to see only that which is ugly in the world and use it to either blame God or deny that He exists at all. We must remind them that it is the choices that man makes, not God, which creates that which is ugly.

We must point out that what God created was perfect.

All imperfections came about as a result of all the things the Bible teaches us to avoid.

“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.” Galatians 5:19-21a NIV

Whenever you look around at the world, take time to truly see what God created. Appreciate – and give thanks for – a world so beautiful, it can be seen even by the sightless.

*******

Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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March 29

Posted on March 29, 2020 by Tony Casson

TODAY IS…

the right day for a little anger management.

“My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry…”  James 1:19 NIV

The instructions given by James in this verse have been valuable ones for all who have read (and heeded) them since they were first written. Particularly when he admonishes everyone to be “slow to become angry.”

We are all familiar with the term “Anger Management,” and even though James did not use those exact words, managing our anger is exactly what he was talking about.

It would be the extremely rare individual, indeed, who never gets angry.

Each of us gets pushed to the brink at some point in time. The reasons for our anger are an important consideration in managing how we react. When we become angry because of an injustice that we are witness to, the cause of the anger is justified, but how the anger is managed is important. Anger can move us to take positive action to correct a situation. Controlling our anger rather than letting it control us can be very helpful in certain situations and for certain reasons.

There are other types of anger over which we should exercise even tighter control. Anger borne of jealousy, a bruised ego, or a selfish perception of “hurt” is destructive and nothing good can come out of it. This type of anger damages relationships, hurts friendships, and accomplishes nothing positive.

Many of us know someone whose ‘flash-point’ is extremely low and is triggered by some perception of a wrong being perpetrated on them. The response to the most inconsequential thing sends them into a destructive, uncontrolled and potentially violent rage that is uncomfortable to witness and even causes friends and family to avoid that person in certain situations.

If this describes you or someone you know, it is important to listen to James when he says, “…for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” (James 1:20 NIV).

There are movies and television shows that treat Anger Management as a humorous subject.

In real life, there is nothing at all humorous about uncontrolled anger. It may require a lot of work for some, but controlling our anger is important to each one of us, as well as those around us.

*******

Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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March 28

Posted on March 28, 2020 by Tony Casson

TODAY IS…

the day to refuse to be discouraged.

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.”  James 1:2 NLT

Great joy? How can we ever be expected to find joy in hardship and troubles?

These things generally have a way of tugging us downward and it becomes easy to be discouraged. Many of us have a tendency to turn inward and become sullen and angry. With all of this negativity swirling around us, where do we get the strength to fight the feeling of discouragement?

If we have learned the lessons the Bible has held out to us, we should be able to remind ourselves that troubles will come to all of us. This is simply a fact of life. A strong relationship with God does not always insulate us from the difficulties that all human beings face here on earth. What our relationship with God does do for us is give us the knowledge that our faith can turn the pain or hardship of whatever we are facing into an opportunity to learn and to grow personally, and to grow in our relationship with, and reliance upon, God.

We can erase the negativity of being discouraged and replace it with a positive outlook, secure in the knowledge that God is with us, just as He was with David. When the Lord rescued him from all of his enemies and from Saul, David was so thankful he sang, “…my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.” (2 Samuel 22:3a NLT).

Every time we refuse to be discouraged when we are confronted with problems in our lives, our faith is strengthened and our love for God and complete trust in Him is evident not only to Him, but to those around us as well.

No one expects us to put on a false face of happiness in the midst of all of our troubles, but a positive outlook, borne out of the knowledge that God will give us all that we need to make it through any situation, will radiate from us and will set a good example for others.

Life is going to deliver each and every one of us some bad news and trying times. This much is a certainty. With a strong relationship with God, we can all remain focused on getting through whatever it is and we can all refuse to be discouraged.

*******

Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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March 27

Posted on March 27, 2020 by Tony Casson

TODAY IS…

a wonderful day to love the Lord.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”  Deuteronomy 6:5 NASB

“But I love Him every day!”

And while this may not be a completely false statement, can each of us say that we do it exactly as God wants us to?

If we closely examine each and every moment of yesterday, did we show our love for God in everything that we said and did?

Did we speak harshly to someone when we could just as easily have held our tongue?

Did we harbor thoughts about people that were inappropriate or against God’s teachings?

Did we spread gossip about others around us?

Did we engage in inappropriate activities?

We all know that how we live our lives and how we interact with those around us are all clear indicators of how we feel about the Lord. Does God expect us to be perfect each and every moment of each and every day? Of course not. If we were capable of being perfect, we would be… well, we would be God, and we know not one of us comes close.

So, if we can never be perfect; if we will always fail in ways both large and small; if thoughts and actions will always escape us that are in direct conflict with what we know God expects of us, how then can we possibly do what Moses instructed the Israelites to do so very long ago?

The answer is not as complicated or difficult to arrive at as we may think.

Many of us have had experience with very small children. Teaching them something is not a one-time proposition. They require constant attention, constant reminding, and constant correcting. We must all look at ourselves as small children when it comes to our relationship with God. We must constantly be reminded and corrected by Him and the way He does this is through His Word.

By taking time each day to read the Bible, meditate on its meaning, and think about where we might have fallen short yesterday in showing our love for God through the way we dealt with those around us and the way we conducted ourselves, we are, in fact, demonstrating that we do understand the words of Moses.

When our children look up at us and say they are sorry for something they have done, we know they are expressing their love for us.

And God knows as well when we look up to Him and do the same thing. He does not expect us to express our love for Him by being perfect. He expects us to express our love by being aware of our imperfections and always asking for His help in improving.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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March 26

Posted on March 26, 2020 by Tony Casson

TODAY IS…

a superb day to clean out your closets.

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”  Romans 3:23 NLT

No matter what skeletons we may have in our closets, we are not alone.

It is important that we understand this, for that is the first step in cleaning those skeletons out, wiping our spiritual slate clean, and discarding the tremendous emotional, spiritual, and even physical burden of dark sins or behaviors.

No matter what secrets we may be hiding or destructive habits we may indulge in, even though we are uniquely created by God, there is nothing unique about our sin or the darkness in which we may live. If we have a secret life, it helps to know that we are not alone, but if we live all, or parts, of our lives secretly, we need to clean out our closets.

There is simply nothing more destructive to us as individuals than to have behaviors that we feel must be kept secret from our families, friends, and business associates. The knowledge that our closet is full of skeletons that could come tumbling out at any moment is always there, lurking in the recesses of our minds. This knowledge weighs heavily on our hearts, lowers our ability to be open and honest with others in many ways, diminishes our self-esteem, and impedes our ability to love ourselves which, in turn, impedes our ability to truly love others in a fresh, honest, healthy way.

So what kind of tools are needed for this spiritual closet-cleaning?

The Holy Bible is the most effective one. Any spiritual cleansing must begin by asking God to forgive what we have been doing – whether the secrets we are hiding are sexual promiscuity and infidelity, alcohol or drug abuse, or an addiction or obsession with pornography; no matter what the behavior is, the first step is always to turn to the Lord and ask forgiveness.

After that, pray for the courage, wisdom, strength, and desire to do all of the things that must be done to empty out those dark spaces where the secrets have resided.

Seek counseling; make apologies to a spouse, friend, or other family members; seek out support groups and draw from the strength and experiences of the many others who are just like you.

Cleaning out our closets can be very difficult. It can take a lot of time, effort, and even a lot of pain. But in the end, the darkness will be replaced with happiness, joy, and God’s grace.

The Bible is your spiritual broom.

Pick it up today and use it to clean out your closet.

*******

Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

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