From the Pulpit…

Cancer Thoughts

Cancer is a hard disease to understand. It hurts not only the victims, but their families and friends as well. It's a hard process to endure.
Over the years, I've watched a number of good friends and family battle cancer. Some have survived. A number have suffered and died. Some are battling cancer now.
Being a pastor doesn't protect or prevent us from feeling sad, hurt, or even angry when cancer occurs in people's lives. We feel just as helpless as those around us. And like many others, we preachers always hope that God gives us the right words, and that we are instruments through whom God speaks.
I remember while praying for someone with cancer that I received a very clear message that the person was going to be okay, and felt led to share that message. The person rallied for a while, but then complications set in and he died. It hit me hard. The message I had received seemed so clear. I once again turned to God, this time with questions.
God came back to me, “Brian is okay. What about you?” I realized that the message I had received was true. I was looking for Brian to be healed. What Brian got was the ultimate healing.
For those of us with faith, death isn’t the end, but a “going home” to be with God. Brian’s earthly body may have perished, but his heavenly body lives on for eternity. Brian is more than okay.
But what about us? What if you were to die today; or your spouse, or your child? Would you be okay? Would they? How is your soul? How is theirs? No one knows what tomorrow holds, but we know who holds tomorrow. It would do us good to make sure of our connection with Him who holds our tomorrows so that when the roll is called up yonder, we’ll be there.
And by the way, cancer isn’t the victor, God is. Put in the right perspective, we can come to realize that cancer is limited in many ways. Cancer is not all powerful. There are things that cancer can’t do. Cancer can’t separate us from God’s presence. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
Cancer cannot overcome love. Cancer might invade the body, but cancer cannot invade the soul. Cancer can take away our earthly life, but it cannot steal eternal life from us. Cancer cannot suppress memories, kill friendships, or cripple love.
In the midst of all of that happens, there are hopes and promises given to us in God’s word. There are faith statements by those who lived and died with cancer that stand out. One friend responded to his condition, "I am convinced that there is a God. I know that no matter what happens to me, standing with me is a loving, caring God”. Another shared with me, “John, I’m going to be with Jesus, take care of my mom and dad.” These add credence to “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine.”
Know someone with cancer? Share the good news: cancer is not the end all. Are you inflicted with cancer yourself? Grab hold of the message that embraces faith and hugs hope. We have a God who hears and answers prayers. Ultimately, when we’re in Him, we will go to be with Him when our time comes, whenever that time might be.
Because of this we can face whatever happens, for we know that standing with us is a loving, caring, victorious God. Thanks be to God who gives us the victory as well as His all-embracing love and the love of family and friends.