The Grace of Cancer
We heard a powerful testimony last night of how God has graciously given cancer to a man in our church who was in rebellion against God and estranged from his wife. With the news of his impending death, God also granted him a renewed heart of repentance. It was sweet to hear his present tenderness to the Lord set in contrast to his past hardness and impenitence. Of course hearing news like that brings mixed emotions: both joy and sorrow. But the joy far outweighs the sorrow. If God had left the man in his sin, but not given him cancer, he may have perished eternally. How gracious of God to give him cancer as a means of bringing him to repentance–even if it means his life may soon end. We pray that God would spare his physical life, but we especially rejoice that God has granted him spiritual life!
I find this post refreshing because of its eternal perspective. I don’t ever hear people speaking this way. If we forget about eternity, we loose our perspective and almost everything stops making sense. It reminds me of Paul speaking of the trouble of this life are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us, or fix your eyes not on what is seen but what is unseen, (Rom 8, and I think 1 Cor. 4:4 respectively).
Good thoughts, Danny. Yes, it is so easy to think only from the perspective of this world—the earthly and physical. Reminders like these are good for us and needed often.