Dad My Friend Has Cancer Why Does God Do This?

Indiucky

Romans 8: 28-39

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died-more than that, who was raised to life-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It was about 2:00 am in the morning and my eyes just popped open from what was a restful slumber. This happens to me a lot. However the time is usually 3:30 am. As a rule when this happens, I immediately have an idea for a sermon, so I get up to jot the idea down.

No, not this time. I just lie there with my eyes wide open and I ask God a question. God what do you want? Is there something you want me to do? I just continue to lie there. At about 2:30 am I hear my phone chime: bink, bink, bink. I reached for my phone and I have a text from our youngest son. The text contains information and a question.

You see our youngest son is a senior at the University of Kentucky. He lives in a fraternity house on campus. It is not unusual for him to be up at 2:30 in the morning. One of his friends described the campus as nocturnal. As I recall, this is not unusual for any campus.

I know a number of these young men. In fact when we visit, some make it a point to find me to say hello. One of these young men is named Dylan. Dylan is giant of a man. As big as he is, he is very soft spoken and reserved. He is also my son's little brother, in a fraternity way.

My son's text reads: Dylan might have cancer. Why does God do that?

You see my son is looking for answers. This is a fair question. It is a frequent question that young people ask. I have heard that same question from our young people here. I have heard the same question from adults. Why does God allow suffering?

My text reply: I'm sorry to hear that. I know that all good things come from God. If it is not good then it comes from Satan.

My son's text reply: That didn't answer our question.

I just realize that my son is not alone. There is someone else with him, one or more, searching for answers. And somehow they have sought my son or me out for an answer.

You see, I send my sermons to my son on a CD. I also have a website with the mission of explaining "What every boy needs to know about being a man - God approved." Either way might be the connection to text this father with this question. I'm just speculating.

My text reply: Give me some time and I will answer your question in full. I would like to send Dylan a card. I have to read God's word before I can answer your very good question. Is that fair? I will start first thing. If you have an address, I would like to send a card.

My text reply: I do know this: God came to earth as a man named Jesus. He came as a poor man. He experienced what it was like to be born as well as death.

My text reply: I will put Dylan on my prayer list. You know you are on my prayer list too.

My text reply: Check your email

Email from Dad to Son 4:35am:

Son,
I understand your question and how you and your friends must be feeling about now. I have already experienced what you are feeling many times. Your question is not unique. I know that you all are from the internet generation and you want information now.

This is an answer from a lady who has cancer. She explains it very well and in a few words.

Linda C Dipman author of THE GAME OF LIFE IT'S ALMOST OVER wrote:

My fears mounted as each day passed with yet another set of tests declaring that the cancer is still present. Relatives I hadn't seen for years began parading into my hospital room. They're expressions reflected concern mixed with deathbed goodbyes.

The whole time this was happening to me I just kept thinking, why me? Why did God allow cancer to hold me for ransom? What am I suppose to be learning from all of this pain I am suffering from this disease?

Have you ever felt like your life was perfect one moment and then all of sudden everything changed. You thought your existence couldn't get any better and suddenly something terrible happened. A pain began very small and grew until your whole body cried out in torment.

Running to the doctor, your worse fear was revealed, the big C had cast a web over your life. Cancer had metastasized and the doctor's only plan of attack was immediate surgery followed by months of chemotherapy.

As each day passed and weeks turned into months your once healthy body now was scarred from numerous surgeries. You were swollen and your skin color no longer radiated with its once perfect tropical tan. You look back at how your life use to be and you're astonished at how quickly everything can change.

As you drift in and out of consciousness from your numerous chemo treatments, your mind begins a quest of understanding why me? You were living a good life with a great job. You had a family and sometimes you even went to church. Why do I have cancer? I never harmed or took advantage of anyone! Why am I being punished? Why is God doing this to me? I am a good person!

Romans 8: 28-30, "We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose. Those whom God had already chosen he also set apart to become like his Son, so that the Son would be the first among many brothers. And so those whom God set apart, he called; and those he called, he put right with himself, and he shared his glory with them."

Literally thousands of people are diagnosed with cancer every year. They all go through multiple stages of grief that begin with why me? Those with faith, question God's purpose for making them endure the big C. Others, who have never established faith, begin looking for answers from those who are Christians.

First of all, God did not create cancer! He did not single you out to punish you because of sin in your life. God loves people! Cancer is a result of people falling prey to an evil world.

Look at our present day world! There are injustices everywhere. Sickness and death are wide spread. War and famine are a common reported issue on the world wide news. Nothing about our world is perfect.

In order to understand why cancer has grabbed you unaware and held you captive to its torments, you must understand our world. The only way to understand this world is to allow what cannot be seen into your life.

Believing in God is a must in order to survive an imperfect world. You must have faith in what you cannot see in order to understand your present life situation. In the beginning God created a perfect world. But when Satan tempted Adam and Eve with the ability to understand; everything changed!

In order to determine the difference between right and wrong you must be given examples. All sicknesses are evil. All wars are fought not for freedom and justice but for greed and power. Most murders are committed from rage. In order to make just decisions and gain wisdom we must have small to extreme examples for our own judgments of what is right and what is wrong.

We live in a corrupt, evil world that is governed by Satan. An unseen world of spirits come in and influence our thinking. A spiritual world that challenges our belief systems through the experiences we go through in our lives for either good or bad.

While Satan is the great deceiver and the corrupter of the world, God has provided the Holy Spirit to come in and help us when we face uncertain times. This is the reason we must have God in our lives. God takes the pain of cancer and helps us to live moment by moment. He makes us an example of what God can do when we allow Him to work in our present situation.

Sometimes it is God's choice for us to be healed and sometimes it is His will for us to die for Him. All things work together for good when God is in control. But when we believe only in this corrupt world then we only have doctors to pull us through our illnesses.

Having God gives us strength and perseverance, while following the world leads us down paths of blame and hate. Think about the life of Jesus. He did nothing but good for people. He healed the sick and cast out demon spirits who tormented the thoughts of people. Yet no matter how much good He did in His life He was still crucified.

In order to become like Jesus we must understand that suffering is a part of this world. Satan wants to destroy people and to get them to let go of their faith in God. God wants us to surrender our lives to Him and trust that no matter what happens He will be there for us.

Romans 8: 31-33 "In view of all this, what can we say? If God is for us, who can be against us? Certainly not God, who did not even keep back his own Son, but offered him for us all! He gave us his Son-will he not also freely give us all things? Who will accuse God's chosen people? God himself declares them not guilty!"

I cringe every time I watch a television program that deals with cancer or death and the first thing that comes out of the mouths of the actors or actresses are why did God do this? God is not evil. God loves people so much that He showed us through the sacrificial death of Jesus what it will take to fight for understanding in this world. In order to understand good; we must have the example of evil.

Jesus came so we would have the Holy Spirit in our lives. A good Spirit that tells us the truth about our present situation. A Holy Spirit that is our guide so that in everything we go through we might gain understanding through our ability to believe that God can and will help us no matter what cancer might do to destroy our lives.

To have faith in God is to equip us with the ability to fight against cancer. God is our strength. Prayer is our ability to communicate to God freely without hesitation. The Holy Spirit gives us the supernatural power to bring cancer to its knees. The Bible gives us hope and directs us to have faith that God will never let us down or abandon us when it seems that we have lost our health forever.

Why does God allow cancer? God hates cancer! Cancer is the result of Satan's power to hurt people in the world. God is ready and able to help us fight. Even if the fight leads us to death, God promises us that He will reward us in Heaven for the pain we have endured. We are His Christian soldiers. Soldiers who fight against Satan and this evil world.

God takes the evil of cancer and He shows how our determination through everything we suffer is an example to others what God can do in our lives even when the prognoses is bad. God changes the lives of our friends and family when they see that we will not let go of our faith no matter what happens to us.

God takes what Satan did to us and shouts to the world that we did nothing wrong. We did not sin and we are not guilty! He takes the evil of cancer and makes us an example to others of what you can do when you have faith in God.

Romans 8: 34-39, "Who, then, will condemn them? Not Christ Jesus, who died, or rather, who was raised to life and is at the right side of God, pleading with him for us! Who, then, can separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble do it, or hardship or persecution or hunger or poverty or danger or death? As the scripture says, 'For your sake we are in danger of death at all times; we are treated like sheep that are going to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, neither the world above nor the world below-there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord."

We live in a world where we will learn the difference between right and wrong. Cancer is evil. God is good. With God's help we can bring cancer to it's knees and show Satan that even if it means death we will not let go of our faith in God!

Conclusion:
Son,
We need to remember that we live in a physical world with physical laws. We stub our toes, cut our fingers, break our legs, catch the flu, get into car accidents. Some things just happen by the very nature of our physical existence. No one is to blame. But if blame is to be laid, let's not rule out the actions of the Devil, who afflicted Job with great tribulation, tempted Jesus to sin, and prowls about like a lion seeking someone to devour! If you want to blame suffering on someone, why blame the loving God who asks us to "cast all our anxiety on Him for He cares for you" and let the devil get off scott free?

Does this help? I need to know if this answers the question.

I am so glad you came to me with the question. We are all terminal. None of us are going to get out of this life alive. The real focus is on what is next.

Your dad loves you.

P.S. This is a time for you to be strong. You have the Bible background to help your Frat Brothers and Dylan through this.

Contributors: Linda C Dipman; http://www.articlesbase.com/cancer-articles/why-does-god-allow-cancer-310413.html; Indiucky