“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” —Revelation 21:4

God can work in spite of sickness. He still answers prayer and heals people today, and He still does miracles. In sickness and in hardships, He can work in a person’s life. Even if a person still has the sickness or problem, God can work in spite of it and give them a special strength. God says He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, nor sorrows, nor crying, and no more pain (see Revelation 21:4). They can have the promise that they will be in Heaven one day.

That promise is the great hope for the Christian: that there is more than just this life on earth. Whatever our limitations are, whatever our problems are, God promises us that beyond this life we will receive a new body that will not have the shortcomings that we have today.

And God can also use sickness to bring a person to Himself, can’t He? I know a lot of people who have come to the Lord in the hospital. A lot of people who have come to the Lord when they are facing death. Suddenly they reevaluate their lives. They wonder, What am I living for? What is really important in my life? What is going to happen to me when I die? And they begin to think about eternity.

As the psalmist says, “Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I have kept your word” (Psalm 119:67). God can work in spite of sickness, and He can work through sickness. Nothing is impossible for Him.