Sunday, February 17, 2008

Don't waste your cancer

We read from Hosea Chapter 14 verse 3, where the prophet states "Assyria cannot save us"...meaning that Israel could not be saved by relying on human means, such as the mighty armies of Assyria. God wants us to rely on him, and not solely on medics for healing. This was emphasised as we heard yesterday of a lady from our local church who has just had two operations delayed by the hospital which Jan will use, the second time after she had received full pre-meds, and was waiting on trolley to do into theatre. Apparently a previous operation over-ran!

Both of us poured through John Piper's book that arrived yesterday. It is written by a man who has had cancer, so is authoritative and believable as a genuine experience. The book has an appendix where John gives 10 ways to ensure one does not "waste your cancer" or miss what God may be teaching one through the experience. He makes comments such as for every minute spent talking about cancer, talk for 10 minutes about how God has helped you through it. He suggests we no longer look at sin as unimportant.

God still provides for us day by day, and wants to draw us closer to him through this experience. I feel convicted about how much time I fritter away watching television. From now on there will be more times when it is switched off. I need to use my time more productively.

Thanks to a couple who invited us out for lunch. Afterwards we were all able to take a lovely walk through local woods filled with sunshine, daffodils and snowdrops. We were able to put into practice what John had said, and did not have to dwell on Jan's sickness but on God's provision in our beautiful world.

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