Since arthritis grabbed my attention a few years ago, I’ve been searching for materials which bring faith in God into the equation. I bought one booklet, but kept looking.
Recently I came across Chronic Illness—Walking By Faith. After reading an online excerpt, I realized this 31-day devotional by Esther Smith is more what I had in mind, so I ordered it. Esther Smith was diagnosed with lupus and hypermobility syndrome; she knows what it’s like to live with chronic illness. She knows how one day you can be fine, and the next day you can barely function, or are somewhere in between. She knows how people say you look fine, but you know you’re not. She knows how symptoms can vary from one day to the next, or even from one hour to the next hour.
Esther writes with compassion and empathy, tempered with a dose of reality. While you won’t find quick answers or guarantees of healing, you will find much encouragement.
Each two-page devotional begins with a Scripture verse, followed by a reading relating to the verse. The devotionals end with questions for reflection and an action prompt, whether to pray for renewed faith, or another suggestion.
I am a week into this devotional, and am glad I found it. I recommend it to anyone fighting a battle with chronic illness who wonders where God is, if He knows, or if He even cares.
©P. Booher
Country Ripples 
Thanks for this thoughtful review. As I battle with frequent illness due to brain illness and lymphoedema I have days where I totally wiped out, which many folk just don’t understand. So to find a devotional written from our viewpoint is brilliant. I will be giving this a look. May God bless you this weekend sister.
Thank you. Yes, I was glad to come across this devotional–there are days arthritis and other things do a number on me, and you are right, folks don’t understand. One other point: as I go through the devotional, I find some principles and viewpoints can be extended to other areas, such as caregiving. May God give you a wonderful weekend, Alan.