An Awful Year?

 

1 Corinthians 15:1-8

15:1 Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand,
15:2 through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you--unless you have come to believe in vain.
15:3 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures,
15:4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures,
15:5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
15:6 Then He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.
15:7 Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
15:8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared also to me.

1 Corinthians 15:20

15:20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died.

Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.  - 1 Corinthians 15:20 (NIV)

 

Although I am a lifelong Christian, I did not feel much like an immortal soul and did not have much confidence that I would rise to eternal life when medical tests revealed that I had cancer. But as I reflected on the Easter story, I found that I believed strongly in the resurrection of Jesus. And because Jesus rose, I had reason to believe that he would rescue me from death as well. Out of gratitude, I began to pray more regularly. Perhaps because of my weak faith, I did not pray for cure of my cancer; but I did take time to praise God each day for what I had.
Sometimes as chemotherapy and radiation took their toll, my prayers were little more than incoherent babbling. But with the aid of the Spirit, I kept praying. (See Rom. 8:26.) I endured months of treatments, underwent three major operations, and had a colostomy for a while. My father died while I was going through all this.


At the end of that awful time, my wife said, “This must have been the worst year of your life.” I thought about that for a minute, and I realized that throughout those difficult days I had been comforted with a profound sense of Christ’s presence.

 “You know,” I told her, “it may have been the best.” Knowing Christ is with us transforms us and our struggles.

The Author - Drew Sappington (Florida, USA)   from the Upper Room

Thought for the Day - God is the God of Good Friday as well as the God of Easter.

Prayer

Dear God, help us to keep in our hearts the truth of your presence. Amen.

Prayer focus  - Those with cancer and their families and those suffering in Boston