The Mighty Acts of God, April 15
Daily Reflections from Inside the Cancer Journey
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Written by Tom Corbell
“I said to the king, ‘May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?’” (Nehemiah 2:3 NIV)
Before their diagnosis, many cancer patients tried hard to do all the “right” things. Good diet, regular exercise, and consistent cancer screenings are all important efforts to keep cancer out of your life. Yet these efforts are no guarantee that cancer won’t raise its ugly head. When cancer pays a visit, you quickly find that you are not insulated from illness or difficulty, no matter how hard you try. Cancer takes your life out of your hands and places it squarely into God’s.
At first, it may sound wonderful to have your life in God’s hands—until you realize you can no longer pretend that you are in charge. Remember all those efforts you made to keep cancer (and any other difficulties) out of your life? Those efforts can leave you with a false sense of security. You thought you had things under control, but you didn’t—God did.
We obviously need Someone who is stronger than our circumstances.
You are not alone. We all do things to keep away difficulties so we can feel secure. But are you doing these things with your eyes on you, or on God? My seminary professor, Dr. H. George Anderson, explained this beautifully:
We do everything in our power to make sure that God won’t have to make a difference. We guard against every unforeseen occurrence; we minimize the variables; we insure ourselves against every possible accident, including “acts of God.” In short, we try to put our life on such a secure and self-guaranteed basis that there is no room for any will other than our own…. No wonder it is difficult to discover the “mighty acts of God.”1
Nehemiah was a man who was looking for a mighty act of God. At the time of today’s verse, Nehemiah was a discouraged Jewish man living in exile in Babylon, far away from Jerusalem where God’s temple was under attack because the city’s wall had been destroyed. To solve this, God needed to provide the manpower, the resources, and the permission from the Babylonian king to get the job done. What are the odds of all of that happening? Why would a foreign king who had foreign gods provide for the Jewish temple? The horrendous conflict in Jerusalem moved Nehemiah into God’s hands and out of his own. It was going to take an act of God, through the king, to bring Nehemiah out of exile and back home.
God showed up in a big way. Nehemiah received all he needed from the king. The exile ended.
Let’s be clear. There are plenty of mighty acts of God in the Promised Land—but too often we need a time of strife and difficulties to see them. Be watchful in the land of cancer for the mighty acts of God. These will bless you beyond compare!
Pray: Lord, I thank You that in my cancer journey, You provide me endurance and people to comfort me. Thank You for Your promise that my eternal provision was granted from a Roman cross when Jesus died for my sins and promised me His provision of eternal life. To God be the glory! Amen.
Your Turn: When in exile, it’s easy to focus on what you miss about the Promised Land instead of looking around you for the wonders of God. What wonders have you already seen since your diagnosis? What wonders do you still hope to see?
1. Anderson, The Rev. H. George. “Stewardship as a Lifestyle.” Stewardship of Life, March 13, 2021. https://www.stewardshipoflife.org/2021/03/stewardship-as-a-lifestyle/.
Tom Corbell, Hospice Pastor
Tom is a Lutheran pastor who has served Jesus in both North and South Carolina for forty-nine years. Six of those years he worked as a Hospice Chaplain, and he encountered cancer daily. The privilege of praying, working with and supporting cancer patients and their families is an honor.
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