For the person and their family that are living with a chronic illness, they need never to be ashamed to rely on the Lord God. He is their rock and fortress.

Today’s Bible Verse:

Psalm 71: 3, “Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.”

What the verse means:

God is there for us all the time. We can always go to and rely on God. The Lord God is our rock and fortress.

Praying using the verses:

1. Heavenly Father, we rely on and thank you for being here for us.
2. Lord Jesus, we pray that we will continually place our confidence and trust in You.
3. Thank you for being our rock and our fortress.

Photo Source: Pixaby

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Jimmie Aaron Kepler is a novelist, poet, book reviewer, and award-winning short story writer. His work has appeared in over twenty venues, including Bewildering Stories and Beyond Imagination. When not writing each morning at his favorite coffee house, he supports his writing, reading, and book reviewing habit working as an IT application support engineer. He is a former Captain in the US Army. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History with minors in English and military science from The University of Texas at Arlington, Master of Arts and Master of Religious Education degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as the Doctor of Education degree. In his mid-forties, he returned to college completing the core curriculum for a computer science degree. His blog Kepler’s Book Reviews was named a 100 best blogs for history buffs. He is an author. His books and collections available on Amazon.

When we or our loved one faces a chronic or serious illness, we need the Lord’s helper. We also need the courage to face the next hour and the challenges of everyday living. With Christ, we can face each day without fear.

We also need the courage to face the next hour and the challenges of everyday living. With Christ, we can face each day without fear.

With Christ, we can face each day without fear.

The Lord’s help is available. How do you get it you ask? Through prayer. You ask God the Father through Jesus Christ the Son.

Today’s Bible Verse:

Hebrews 13:6 (KJV), “So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

What the verse means:

Without any hesitation or doubt, in all times of difficulty when we don’t know how to pray or how we will make it even through the night, we have an assurance that God will not leave us to suffer.

What can we fear if we have the assurance that the Lord is on our side, and that he will help us?

We fear nothing. Man can do no more to us than God permits, and no more than will be for our own good. We know under whatever trials we may be placed, we need be under no painful anxiety, for God will be our protector and our friend.

Praying using the verses:

1. Heavenly Father, help us to cling to You and keep our total trust in You.
2. Lord, give us the courage to say You are our helper.
3. We pray for fear to flee from us. We will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Photo Source: Pixaby

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Jimmie Aaron Kepler is a novelist, poet, book reviewer, and award-winning short story writer. His work has appeared in over twenty venues, including Bewildering Stories and Beyond Imagination. When not writing each morning at his favorite coffee house, he supports his writing, reading, and book reviewing habit working as an IT application support engineer. He is a former Captain in the US Army.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History with minors in English and military science from The University of Texas at Arlington, Master of Arts and Master of Religious Education degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as the Doctor of Education degree. In his mid-forties, he returned to college completing the core curriculum for a computer science degree. His blog Kepler’s Book Reviews was named a 100 best blogs for history buffs. He is an author. His books and collections available on Amazon.

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This was a hard verse to select. As I read and meditated on it, I thought “light affliction?” No way is fighting cancer or any chronic illness “light.” It has been terrible to face a never ending illness.

I thought and prayed what could our family’s chronic illness be teaching us? How could any of this be preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond comparison? I asked God to show me what is happening.

Today’s Bible Verse:

2 Corinthians 4:17 (KJV), “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;”

What the verse means:

1. The “momentary affliction” of cancer or a chronic illness is weaning us from this world.
2. We have to look to God for consolation and support as she faces cancer. The events and disease are forcing us to look to God as He alone is our hope.
3. Her cancer has us contemplating the glories of the heavenly world. We see our thoughts and longing for heaven alone as a respite from the disease while on Earth. It has us looking forward to heaven as our home and the wonder of no more sickness or suffering.
4. We look forward with hope as God has graciously promised to reward his people in heaven as the result of their bearing trials in this life. God is preparing us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.
5. We only trust God as we know through our walk with Him over the years He is faithful.

Praying using the verses:

1. Heavenly Father, help us as we face our worldly afflictions. Help us to change our focus from what ails us to you.
2. Lord God, we look to you for consolation and support as face the chronic illness. God, you alone are our hope.
3. Help us to contemplate the glories of the heavenly world. We long for heaven where there is no disease and suffering.
4. We look forward with hope as God has graciously promised to reward his people in heaven. Thank you, God, for preparing us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.
5. We only trust God as we know through our walk with Him over the years He is faithful.

Photo Source: By Nabeel Akram Minhas (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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Jimmie Aaron Kepler is a novelist, poet, book reviewer, and award-winning short story writer. His work has appeared in over twenty venues, including Bewildering Stories and Beyond Imagination. When not writing each morning at his favorite coffee house, he supports his writing, reading, and book reviewing habit working as an IT application support engineer. He is a former Captain in the US Army.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History with minors in English and military science from The University of Texas at Arlington, Master of Arts and Master of Religious Education degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as the Doctor of Education degree. In his mid-forties, he returned to college completing the core curriculum for a computer science degree. His blog Kepler’s Book Reviews was named a 100 best blogs for history buffs. He is an author. His books and collections available on Amazon.

As a caregiver of someone who is chronically ill, you may find yourself feeling alone and as helpless as the person living with the illness.

Maybe you belong to a support group. Support groups are wonderful and recommended.

Maybe extended family pitches in and helps … when they can. Great.

Maybe you have even placed yourself or loved on your church’s prayer list. Fantastic.

While others praying for you is wonderful, you need to keep up your own time with God.

• Step one is accepting Him as Lord and Saviour.
• Step two is reading from the Bible.
• Step three is praying. Just share what is in your heart. For example, we can tell the Lord we are scared, tired, worn out, or worried. He listens. He cares.
• Step four is to claim the promise that the Lord is our helper.

Today’s Bible Verse:

Hebrews 13:6 (KJV), “So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

What the verse means:

Today’s verse tells us to boldly say, the Lord is my helper. It adds that in Christ we can have victory over fear.

Praying using the verses:

1. Without any hesitation or doubt, In all times of difficulty when we don’t know how to pray or how we will make it even through the night, we have an assurance that God will not leave us to suffer.
2. What can we fear if we have the assurance that the Lord is on our side, and that he will help us?
3. We fear nothing. Man can do no more to us than God permits, and no more than will be for our own good.
4. We know under whatever trials we may be placed, we need be under no painful anxiety, for God will be our protector and our friend.
   Heavenly Father, help us to cling to You and keep our total trust in You.d Jesus, thank you for the rest You give us.
5. God, we ask to experience it again this day.

Photo Source: Pixaby

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Jimmie Aaron Kepler is a novelist, poet, book reviewer, and award-winning short story writer. His work has appeared in over twenty venues, including Bewildering Stories and Beyond Imagination. When not writing each morning at his favorite coffee house, he supports his writing, reading, and book reviewing habit working as an IT application support engineer. He is a former Captain in the US Army.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History with minors in English and military science from The University of Texas at Arlington, Master of Arts and Master of Religious Education degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as the Doctor of Education degree. In his mid-forties, he returned to college completing the core curriculum for a computer science degree. His blog Kepler’s Book Reviews was named a 100 best blogs for history buffs. He is an author. His books and collections available on Amazon.

Living with a chronic illness can leave you tired and weary. I talking about bone tired. I am talking about the type of tired that a vacation or even a sabbatical cannot cure. You may be like my wife. She’s battling Stage Four Melanoma. She’s tired. The juggling of the schedule to visit visit the surgical oncologist, managing oncologist, dermatologist, thyroid doctor,  blood work, biopsies, surgery, second surgery, PET scans, CAT scans, MRIs, days and weeks of radiation treatments, months of daily chemotherapy prediction medications, waiting for UPS or FedEx to deliver the refrigerated prescriptions from the special pharmacy, visits to the lymphedema therapist, daily lymphedema therapy at home with the machine that sounds like Darth Vader with its sleeve that looks like Snuffleupagus on Sesame Street. Then there is the eating schedule. She had to take the meds and wait two hours to eat or eat and wait several hours before she could take the medications. You get the picture and can relate. You get tired. You need rest. You need God.

Today’s Bible Verse:

Exodus 33:14 (KJV), “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

What the verse means:

The Lord is telling Moses that he, that is the Lord, will personally go with him. He, that is the Lord, will give him rest. He is telling Moses that everything will be fine for him. The application for the Believer in Christ is the Lord also personally goes with us, gives us rest, and promises that ultimately all will be fine.

Praying using the verses:

1. Heavenly Father, thank you for your presence going with us.
2. Lord Jesus, thank you for the rest You give us.
3. God, we ask to experience it again this day.
4. Let us use Sunday as the day of rest and worship.

Photo Source: Pixaby, modifications by Jimmie Aaron Kepler

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Jimmie Aaron Kepler is a novelist, poet, and award-winning short story writer. He supports his writing, reading, and book reviewing habit working as an IT application engineer. He is a former Captain in the US Army.  He holds a BA in History with minors in English and Military Science from The University of Texas at Arlington, MRE/MA degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as the EdD degree.