Thank you for all of your support in regards to my latest story of the esophageal cancer. I had my CT Scan yesterday and I’ll give you a report in a couple weeks, after seeing my Oncologist with these results. In the meantime we continue to rejoice over the reversal of my cancer tumor!
Besides our health reports, I want to pass on theological and practical insights I glean as I think about my sickness, health, and God’s hand in these. I hope these are helpful to you as well.
Here’s one on suffering. Sickness is one form of human suffering in our world. Not only does it cause physical pain, but also emotional pain as we wrestle with our condition in regards to our weakening bodies.
And sickness often causes spiritual pain as we consider God’s sovereignty in life; His omnipotence; His omniscience; and His loving care for us. If He has all of these characteristics, then why does he allow us, His child, to suffer?
As Walt Henrichsen mentioned to me recently in regards to Job, “Why does God sometimes treat His friends like His enemies? We simply don’t know.” But this reality does cause us some spiritual pain, doesn’t it? Only faith in His character (all of those characteristics mentioned above) allow us to live with these pains and move forward with trust and joy.
I want to pass on to you these insights from our friend, Bill Tell, in his blog, Laying It Down. Here he covers an insight about suffering and grace in the Beatitudes.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Lets remember the context. Jesus had been preaching the gospel of the kingdom to a great crowd and healed every disease among them. As a result there were no doubt a lot of brand new disciples in this crowd he was now teaching. They needed to know two things right from the start.
First – even though they had suffered extensively, they were now going to experience a second kind of suffering that was completely new to them.
The New Testament teaches two kinds of suffering. There is suffering because we live in a fallen world – the suffering that follows natural disasters and the awful suffering that accompanies so many diseases. (read more . . .)
Hi Dave and Sheri
I am now a fellow-cancer friend. Experiencing God’s incredible mercy. I was diagnosed with lung cancer from a routine medical check in Singapore and had robotic surgery on 13 May. The lobectomy removed the tumour and my upper right lung. I am thankful I need no further treatment except to be monitored for the next 5 years. I have been cleared to travel and will be taking part as a mentor at the Lausanne Younger Leaders Gathering in Indonesia August 2-11, Prior to that, I will be ministering for a week in Singapore.