In His Grip is a weekly e-mail intended to provide inspiration and hope to those fighting cancer.
A ministry of Stronghold Ministry.          Subscribe here.

*If you’re fighting cancer, please write and let us know how we can pray and support you.

Nothing makes Bible doctrines come to life like desperation. While I was fighting cancer, I was reassured by three facts about God that buoyed my spirit and anchored my soul.

1) The Sovereignty of God

Despite pain, oppression, and confusion, it was comforting to know He was in absolute control over my life. Nothing was or can be stronger than Him, or stand in His way. Though man was powerless over the Stage IV metastatic melanoma which ravaged my pancreas, lung, kidney, stomach and lymph system, I knew God could remove every trace of cancer at any time. He would have the last word, because He always has the last word. Jesus expressed The Sovereignty of God this way, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God” – Luke 18:27. Does this begin to lift your spirit?

2) The Goodness of God

God is good all of the time. He proved this forever when He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for me while I was a sinner and enemy (Romans 5:6-8). After becoming a son and heir through Christ, how much more will He cause His goodness to sovereignly flow to me? Paul summarized The Goodness of God in this way, “We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” – Romans 8:28. He pours out goodness so we can conquer anything.

3) The Incomprehensibility of God

A big word, but there is much we don’t understand about His ways. Asaph, the Psalmist, described His Incomprehensibility in this way, “Your way was in the sea and Your paths in the mighty waters, and Your footprints may not be known” – Psalm 77:19. As with Israel at the Red Sea, God may carry us to a place that confuses and upsets us. We don’t always see the way through on this side of heaven, and He doesn’t always explain why He allows painful seasons. But we don’t have to trust blindly. We can be so certain of His Sovereignty and Goodness that we don’t need to understand now! We’re just confident He will produce a good outcome. We don’t need to figure everything out! This lifts a heavy burden from us. We can let Him navigate and focus on relaxing!

These truths work together to provide a supernatural peace and stability no matter what happens. So when in pain, don’t turn away from Him, turn to Him!

You Are In His Grip,

Joe & Terri Fornear, Stronghold Ministry
-If you are fighting cancer, please write and let us know how we can pray. We want to be “in your corner.”

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O God, when You went forth before Your people, when You marched through the wilderness, Selah. The earth quaked; the heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel. You shed abroad a plentiful rain, O God; You confirmed Your inheritance when it was parched. -Psalm 68:7-9

Journeying through life’s deserts can be very frightening. Thankfully, the Lord reigns everywhere, including the desert! Psalm 68 is a proclamation that the Lord provides riches in the wilderness, where David found himself in literal and figurative dilemmas. He wrote to comfort himself and his readers: If God was faithful to Israel in the wilderness, He will be faithful to him too. And He will be faithful to us as well!

A common fear in the desert, and God’s provision:

• Will I become lost and disoriented in the desert?

When we are fighting cancer or in some major crisis, we travel high stakes roads. Our decisions seem to make the difference between life and death. So we cry out to God to lead us. We hope we’re making the right decisions. We hope He is guiding. Glory to God that even in the wilderness, He leads. God “goes forth before His people” through the wilderness (Psalm 68:7). In other words, He already is leading us though the harsh conditions! The Hebrew word at the end of verse 7 is “Selah,” which is an inspirational literary device. It means to pause, reflect, wonder and worship. So, Selah!

In the midst of trials, He promises to lead every step and grant us wisdom along the way. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1). Since He is leading, there is no reason to fear any destination! Do not doubt that He is leading you. Don’t let your emotions overrule His word. He is faithful, just trust that He is leading you and don’t fear the desert.

More about God’s desert provisions next time.

In His Grip is a weekly e-mail intended to provide inspiration and hope to those fighting cancer.
A ministry of Stronghold Ministry.    Subscribe here.
*If you’re fighting cancer, please write and let us know how we can pray and support you.

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For twelve years I had stood at a pulpit on Sunday mornings and proclaimed that our significance and value comes primarily from the Lord, and not from what we do. Yes, we can feel good about our performance, but God even loves us when we are unable to produce, and even when we “fail.” This truth was a source of comfort to me, and I had seen it bring freedom to others as well. Then in 2002, Stage IV metastatic melanoma would severely test my grasp on this truth. The cancer and treatments stripped all of my strength. I tried to rise from my “unproductive state” through faith and positive thinking. Yet I was too weak to deliver a sermon. Heck, I couldn’t even get out of bed. I explained to the Lord that this was a colossal waste of time. I was not getting anything done. How could I make a difference lying flat on my back? Ahhh, the teacher needed to practice what he preached. I realized that my lack of productivity bothered me far too much. My identity, sense of self-worth, and self-esteem had become attached to my level of production. I even felt like a burden to my caretakers, to my incredibly supportive wife, Terri, and to my very understanding church. I thought I was wasting their time too. The Lord broke through all of my noise, and reassured me that I was deeply loved by Him, even if I never helped another person again. In an inaudible voice, in a kind of whisper in my spirit, I heard Him say, “You are right in the center of my will right now, and I love you so much.” At first, it was difficult to receive such love with no strings attached, but today I am more liberated from my job and my sense of “success”. Now I know His affirming love for me, even when I’m at my absolute weakest. So if your battles have rendered you helpless, remember your value is not tied to your production. He loves you, right now, more than you can ever imagine. So get busy… simply accepting His amazing love. I am grateful His ways are not our ways, and our suffering is never in vain.

In His Grip,
Joe Fornear, Stronghold Ministry
Toll free – 877-230-7674

-Subscribe here to In His Grip, this weekly devotional newsletter list.

In His Grip is a weekly e-mail intended to provide inspiration and hope to those fighting cancer.
Subscribe here.
*If you’re fighting cancer, please write and let us know how we can pray and support you.

We’ve seen them in grocery stores and restaurants. Chaos is their partner, and tantrums their tool of choice. After observing their interactions for a moment, you suspect they aren’t simply having a bad day. They’re kids caught in a pattern of controlling their parents; some refer to this behavior as bratty. Clearly the parents are to blame for not developing the child’s character to wait, or to do without. Even when the child’s wishes are indulged, he still finds no satisfaction. The ability to wait  graciously is a character issue, and those who possess this quality have discovered the contentment of maturity.

During my battle with cancer, there were times I was in close touch with, one might say, my inner brat. I wanted immediate release from the hospital, so I mercilessly nagged my doctor. I was fed up with dealing with cancer, so I threw myself a pity party.  I expected God to join me, but He was a no show. As we discussed in last week’s, In His Grip, God’s ways are so different from our ways. Again, we tend to think joy comes from prompt removal of pain and hardship, while God knows that patiently persevering through discomfort produces real joy. This is why He makes us wait. This is why He does not fulfill every desire.  This is how He develops supernatural contentment. James describes the progression from trials to maturity, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,  knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” So if God hasn’t answered your prayers yet, wait for Him patiently. His way of producing lasting joy is different than ours. By not giving us everything we want, He can give us everything we need.

In His Grip,
Joe Fornear, Stronghold Ministry
Toll free – 877-230-7674

-Subscribe here to In His Grip, this weekly devotional newsletter list.

It may seem foolish to cut back vine branches to produce more and better grapes. Yet pruning is a centuries old practice of vinedressers. Sometimes after pruning, grapes don’t return in force for two full years.

In the same way, the Lord allows “counterproductive” cutbacks in our lives. It could be a job loss, health issue or a struggle in a relationship. With pruning, situations may vary, but pain is usually involved. So we tell Him, “Lord, You don’t understand; I could be so much more productive if You would only change this circumstance… today!” I’m glad He doesn’t take orders like some genie in a bottle. He really is better at being God.

We may conclude trials signify He is angry with us. Yet Jesus stated just the opposite. The reason He prunes those who bear some fruit is to enable them to produce more. In His words:

John 15:1-2 -  “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.”

So what does He accomplish with pruning? In short, dependence.

John 15:4-5 -  “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

The Lord is obviously not impressed with our self-generated attempts to serve Him. Unattended vine branches can have rapid, but mostly worthless growth, yielding few and low quality grapes. In the same way, apart from Him, our relentless activity is worthless, producing no genuine spiritual fruit. Unless we consciously depend on the life of Christ within to produce fruit, we can do “nothing.” Wait, nothing? Nothing of value. He is dogmatic on this matter of source. So, are we living off His life, or our own paltry human strength?

First things first though; we can’t depend upon the life of Christ, if He is not inside us. Maybe someone reading needs to take that first step of receiving Christ into your life. He enters in by invitation, as He says in John 1:12-13, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” More on receiving Christ here.

So we might tie together the concepts of pruning and dependence in this way: He allows hardships to bring us to the end of our own strength, and to encourage us to draw resources from  Him. This explains why we find ourselves helpless to change frustrating circumstances, because it is only in our weakness and desperation that we switch over to Christ as the source of life. So don’t fight the trials, whatever they may be. Sure,  ask Him to remove them, but realize they are not senseless. They teach us to abide in Christ, and we only discover the fullness of life through Him. This is true: I heard it from the grape vine.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB(c).

At some point during the TV show, Extreme Makeover, Homeowner Edition, my wife, Terri, will look over at me and ask, “Are you crying?” No! Must be something in my eye. I honestly think it is difficult not to cry. The show typically highlights the rough living conditions of a selfless individual who takes care of the sick, infirmed or bereaved, while simultaneously caring for their own large families. So the cast and volunteers tear down the old home and build a customized mansion for the grateful family. If that doesn’t tug at your heartstrings, then… go watch your Simpsons. There is one recurring scene in the show, however, that always makes me cringe. The bullhorn guy, Ty, explains that the reason the family is getting this royal treatment is because they deserve it.

Attitudes haven’t changed much in two thousand years. Jesus’ disciples informed Him that a Roman centurion, whose slave was very ill, deserved to be healed (Luke 7:1-10). The man had evidently been kind to Israel by building their house of worship — in the Temple Edition of Extreme Makeover. When Jesus wanted to visit the slave at his home, the centurion refused because he was “unworthy”. So Jesus healed his slave from a distance and marveled aloud at his faith, “I have not seen such great faith even in all of Israel.” Apparently, great faith entails a humility that we don’t deserve anything from God. We don’t deserve that He should enter our homes, let alone bless us there or give us a new one! I don’t want to treat the Lord like He is my cosmic bell hop. I need to learn that God “owes” me absolutely nothing. In fact, because of my countless sins, all I really deserve is eternal punishment. Are you getting what you deserve in life? Hope not.

We have a friend whose battling cancer right now. She and her husband had an experience with their dog which was full of symbolic meaning for me. Recently, her husband was giving instructions to the dog, but it refused to listen. It ran onto the street directly into the path of an oncoming car. The dog was pretty banged up in the collision, but managed to get up and start walking. When his master tried to reach down and scoop it up to nurse it back to health, it bit down on his hand and then limped off. The dog continued to ignore its master’s calls and ran away to hide. Amazingly, a couple of days later, they found the dog and began giving it the care it needed. All along, the dog’s master only had its well being in mind, but it thought differently. When you see this self-destructive behavior played out in a dog’s life, the folly seems so clear. But doesn’t this mirror us when we go it alone apart from God? We disobey, run away and reject His help.

Sometimes we want to run away from God

Just like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, we can be deceived to believe that God is not totally good. That for some reason, He is withholding life’s finest blessings. And, when we encounter pain, which is often self-induced, we tend to bite the hand that is reaching to restore us. Today, remember this when you are tempted to drift away: God is really good, all the time. He has your best in mind!

Jesus said, “How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it! (Luke 13:34).

Scripture quotation taken from the NASB(c).

Play along a moment and imagine you’re selected to be “God For A Day.” You’ll be granted absolute power for 24 hours. What will you do? Would you order up a luxury item or two (million) for yourself, friends and family? During their day, I think most people would eventually perform what they consider the ultimate act of good will – to remove suffering from the earth. No more poverty, disease, or bad guys. So why doesn’t God act in such a manner? He has the capabilities!

Some would argue He doesn’t actually have the ability to make such changes. Yet how could the One who called this complex universe into existence with just His Word be powerless to make comparatively lesser changes? Other people believe God is not good or compassionate after all. They reason, “If I were God, I would have done something about this mess long ago. What is He waiting for?”

In time, He will clean it all up, but for now there are more important matters than gifts and pleasures.  To God, we are like children, really small children with a bent towards self-centeredness. To Him, we are like the kid laying on the floor in the store kicking and wailing because he can’t have the candy or the toy. Now a wise parent knows that indulging such a child’s whims would render him very bratty. Our “grown-up” understanding about our real needs can be as deficient as the toddler who throws his tantrums.

While I am a big fan of God’s gifts,  suffering can have a high benefit in our lives. Denying a kid candy protects his health. Strict rationing of toys helps him realize he can be happy without them. God knows He risks our misunderstanding. We don’t tend to appreciate His discipline. Nor do we instinctively rejoice when He allows us to be mistreated or really sick. Yet an intense bout with adversity can open our eyes to life’s ultimate realities and help us shed our preoccupation with small things. I often connect with cancer patients about how God gained our undivided attention after our diagnoses. In the Bible a man named Job had the right attitude in the midst of his agonizing personal tragedy and illness:

“Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” (Job 2:10).

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21).

“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You” (Job 4:25).

Ultimately, Job overcame his trials not because of God’s gifts, which had all been stripped away, but by God’s presence. He never goes away. Job realized God was worth loving all the time, regardless of his circumstances. We can have the very best any time, any place, any where – all because we can have Him, our Stronghold.

As for me, I’ll pass on being God for a day. There’s enough problems in the world.

Lord, help us trust your management of our lives. Teach us how to fight and when to rest. Most of all teach us to embrace the fact that You are God and empower us to trust You and Your goodness, even when we are hurting.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB(c).

In the midst of battle, we might think of surrender in terms of a white flag, quitting . . . defeat. Yet, when facing a major trial, there is no greater step we can take than surrender. Not surrender to the trial or disease, but yielding to our Creator and His direction. Think for a second, how could we possibly navigate our battles better than Him? He is the ultimate general and a powerful commander and His soldiers tend to fail when they strike out on their own. While staring down his Goliath, David knew winning the match was greater than his abilities, but not God’s:

“All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:47).

It is the Lord who orchestrates our fight. He leads us and shows us our role step by step. Surrender is not passive, it is not even active – it is proactive. Our highest priority is to stay in close contact with Him, listening and responding. And don’t worry about making the connection, He always finds a way to lead us and gives us peace and strength along the way. Relax in Him and lean on Him. He is fighting for you and with you.

During the early days of my encounter with Stage IV metastatic melanoma, I resisted surrendering to the Lord. I didn’t want to have cancer and stubbornly tried to cling to my old routines. I was not a good patient and the strategy backfired – my health declined faster. My surrender to the Lord took the form of listening better to the doctors and yes, to my wife. Once I surrendered, I was much more peaceful, and so were those who were desperately trying to help me!

Get tough in your battles and surrender to the Lord. It’s the best strategy.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB(c).