March 25, 2009
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praying cancer is for the glory of God
I have a good friend who's had cancer for a few years now and she is now in her last days here on earth. Earlier today I visited with her. I tried to comfort her as much as I could and prayed aloud briefly with her, but most of the time I sat with her and prayed silently...I kept thinking how much I hate death...and sin...and Satan...though she is slipping away into glory I can rejoice...yet I hate death...and sin...and Satan...because once she's there I won't see her again until I make that same journey over Jordan...I won't be able to share another cup of coffee with her (though I am thinking perhaps we may be praising the Lamb over a cup of coffee in heaven, who knows?)...I hate death...and sin...and Satan...since we were born to live...I kept thinking of John 11...My prayer was that my friend's illness and impending death would be for the glory of God...Not long after that I saw that prayer answered in part....
As I was heading to my car I ended up in a lengthy conversation with someone about the Gospel. By God's grace I was able to explain clearly that our salvation is not by works but by Christ's work for us on the cross...all those things that God has so burdened me about in the past several months (please see my deep concern for the churches). Anytime we have the opportunity to proclaim that salvation is God's free gift by grace through faith in Christ and Christ alone, we bring glory to God!
It's the very same message we heard in BSF today as we studied Numbers 21: salvation is by faith alone.
And the Lord said to Moses, Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live. Numbers 21:8.How does looking at a serpent save? By faith alone in God's provision. Of course the serpent on the pole foreshadowed God's plan of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. John 3:14-15.Whoever believes! We can't save ourselves. We are all bitten by sin. We are only saved through trusting in God's perfect provision of His only begotten Son as the only and all-sufficient way of salvation. To the world, it's foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12.
Holy Spirit,Empower us to be Christ's witnesses.
Open our mouths to lift up Christ and Him crucified
with boldness and clarity.Open doors for us to speak.
Open ears to hear.
Open eyes to see.
Open hearts to receive the truth of the simplicity of the Gospel of Christ.So Christ might be preeminent.
All to the praise, honor and glory of God.
Amen.But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Acts 1:8.
At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Colossians 4:3-4.
And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. I Corinthians 2:1-5.
And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. John 12:32.
So did the Hebrew prophet raise
The brazen serpent high,
The wounded felt immediate ease,
The camp forbore to die.
“Look upward in the dying hour,
And live,” the prophet cries;
But Christ performs a nobler cure,
When Faith lifts up her eyes.
High on the cross the Savior hung,
High in the heav’ns he reigns:
Here sinners by th’ old serpent stung
Look, and forget their pains.
When God’s own Son is lifted up,
A dying world revives;
The Jew beholds the glorious hope,
Th’expiring Gentile lives.
(Isaac Watts, 1709)
You may also be interested in reading...
- Running the Race: "Frogs Can Only Move Forward"
- Bible Reading Plan: II Samuel: David's Lament for Jonathan
- Once a Barnabas....
- John Piper's article "Don't Waste Your Cancer"
Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Comments (9)
You're right. I hate death and sickness and Satan too ......right now he's gaining victory - but thanks be to God, we know that it will come to an end! As believers, we have the glorious hope that we have everlasting life. Actually death is just the transition to life.
Praying that your friend is feeling God's peace and nearness. Hugs to you Karen!
@nicolevw - Nicole, yes, Satan is on the prowl and we do not yet see all things subjected to Christ yet Christ is Victor. For all of us who are in Christ already have everlasting life and one day our faith will become sight! Thanks for your prayers for my friend and your hugs to me!
I really hate cancer and death and never really thought about how, because we were not made to die, it makes sense that it seems unnatural and incomprehensible that out bodies will stop functioning some day. As a nurse I have seen lots of death and it never ceases to be a difficult thing to watch. I so hate sin for causing the deaths of us all. Thank you so much for making that all clearer for me. I am so glad He has given me the faith that my physical death will simply be a transition to a better place. I thank God for giving me that faith which, through grace, is my hope. Keep lifting up the Son of Man. I am praying for your friend and her family.
@kjlindgren - I was also thinking of you as I was writing this...I Cor. 15 is wonderful to read.
54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. I Cor. 15:54-57
Christ is the firstfruits, and He's waiting to receive the full harvest, all of us who belong to Christ!
Thanks for your prayers...He does bring life out of death...I am seeing His strong hand doing just that...through the cancer!
this is so sobering. so true. molly had a cancer scare a few years ago and though she was thankfully healed, we had known many others prior to that who had died. our next door neighbor was young and healthy and left 3 young daughter's motherless. that's why we at first wondered how we had the audacity to expect that our situation would be different. but somehow in the middle of it, we both knew that somehow, no matter the outcome, God was going to use it to bring Him glory and for our ultimate good..and that got us excited. weird in the middle of such heartache and uncertainty, but there was such a peace and reassurance when we started to realize how awesome God really is all the time...even in times where we would otherwise despair. it's almost as though we look forward to hard times now...not really...but ultimately everything gives Him glory. and that is pretty amazing! =)
@YouTOme - He is an amazing God! King of the earth. King of cancer. Sovereign over all. His plan and purposes will not be thwarted!
The hard part is walking by faith through the valley of the shadow of death and continuing to trust God is working it for His glory when we're not seeing any glimmer of His glory there, when it's all dark. I am realizing how blessed I have been by that encounter yesterday and how family members have also been blessed. Today we were sitting there mourning, smack dab in the valley, yet we were rejoicing at what God had done: exceedingly above all we could ask or imagine!
There are times when we're in the dark, when we're not actively sensing His goodness and mercy, yet no matter what we see, His goodness and mercy are following us. We walk by faith and not by sight. During those dark times we need to keep going to His Word to see His goodness and to read of His past dealings with His people, to keep remembering His past dealings with us. Then to rehearse and recall and remind ourselves and one another of those things over and over again: Forget not His benefits! That's a lot of what the author of the book of Hebrews is doing. I can't recommend it enough.
i like what you said especially when you said, we odn't always actively sense His goodness, but no matter what HE is always following us. it's so true. especially and even when we are unfaithful, He always is faithful. praise God!
"To the world, it's foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
I was just telling a friend this today...People often laugh at us Christians thinking we are fanatics, obsessed, etc., with this "God thing". I say "If only they knew..." Nothing has EVER touched my heart and life like God!!! His Power to change lives, hearts from hard to soft still amazes me. If only everyone could see the power, love, mercy, and grace of His Spirit!
Thanks for reminding me of all that He is!!!
@YouTOme - Yes, there are times when we have to fight to see Him, to keep our eyes on Him who is invisible. Satan wants us to doubt and despair.
@JUSTAVAPORHERE - Yes, people will laugh so long as their eyes are blinded (II Cor. 4). I used to laugh too because I was blind and couldn't see. The magnificent obsession for the pearl of great price does look foolish to those who are in darkness. Open their eyes, Lord, like you've opened ours. Show them Your glory. Help them see there is truly no God like You!
I love to remind others of all He is because as I do so I'm reminding myself...and I can never do that enough!