If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up. – Daniel 3:17-18

When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were given a choice of life or death in the fiery furnace, they faced their fears and rested in the sovereignty of God. They knew the Lord was fully able to deliver them – and He did – yet they were prepared for anything. They determined to lean on Him and worship Him no matter what.

Living may be the one thing to which we cling the tightest. The instinct to survive is good in itself, but an obsession with living can expose our soul to perhaps the most destructive fear – the fear of death. Jesus came to set us free from this fear:

… that through death He (Jesus) might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. - Hebrews 2:14-15

There is a powerful solace in a yielded approach to our life and death. Consider Paul’s holy abandon in Acts 20:24, when he was being warned that evil men wanted to take his life:

But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.

In the TV series, The Band of Brothers, an incredibly brave soldier was asked how he did it. He responded, “You have to fight like you’re already dead.”

If you’ve read my book, My Stronghold, you may remember my doctor predicted in 2003 that I had just days to live with Stage IV metastatic melanoma. I describe how I bounced in and out of bold surrender and gripping fears. So trust me, I know yielding is extremely difficult, more like impossible, but it is definitely doable with God’s grace.

I know this is a hard message and may strike some readers as icy cold and inappropriate for people who truly are on the brink of death. But I’ve been there and learned the secret of surrender and peace in the face of death. During those times, when I was open to life or death, my spirit and soul were never freer. Plus, for those who are in Christ (learn more about how), being on the other side will not be such a bad thing! 2 Corinthians 5:1 says, “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

Lord, help us surrender to your sovereignty and grace no matter where we journey.

When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
- 1 Corinthians 13:11-12

During some spring cleaning, I stumbled upon a principle that is true for both cleaning windows and navigating a crisis. While cleaning one side of the glass, it appeared I was removing all of the spots, until I viewed the pane from the other side and saw several spots I had missed. In the same way, when viewing our crises from this side of heaven, we miss much about the Lord and our trials.

In 1 Corinthians 13:12, Paul likens our understanding – and reactions – to children who don’t fully understand the adult world. When confused or frustrated, I admit I’ve thrown a childish tantrum or two (thousand). Paul’s statement is humbling – our grasp of God’s superior ways is partial and limited.

Now I’m not one who believes we should never ask why. Questioning is healthy and leads to much revelation of the Lord. During my battle with Stage IV metastatic melanoma, I often asked Him why. Still, satisfying answers were sometimes lacking.

Yet one super fine day in heaven, we’ll know God just like He knows us. Our eyes will be opened to unseen realities that we can only imagine on this side.

Until then, we can still love the One we don’t fully understand. We can still praise Him through pain and confusion. There is a strange sense of rest in trusting Him with our unanswered questions. And that’s an answer in itself – He will tell us everything soon enough.

So don’t fret if you “miss a spot.”

Lord, grant us the grace and poise to trust You even when we’re confused and hurting.

That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. -Philippians 3:10

We seek to encourage people who are experiencing considerable pain. When pain wracks the body, it seizes the attention of our entire being. We cry out for relief to God and man. When relief is not found or granted, what then? Could there be some redeeming benefit to pain and suffering?

Like us, Paul sought God to remove his painful trials, and Paul certainly understood pain. A partial list of his sufferings is found in 2 Corinthians 12:24-25, “Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned.” When release from these sufferings did not come for Paul, he discovered The Great Consolation, knowing Jesus Christ, the great soother of pain.

For Paul, having a tight relationship with Jesus became the overriding goal of his life. Pain relief was secondary. But why? What did he gain from knowing Christ?

Paul provides several points of gain in knowing Christ through pain:

1) Knowing Him is the ultimate discovery of life anyway!
“I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3: 8). Paul reset his affections from lesser, worldly desires, to Jesus Christ. As a result, he experienced the incredible kindness, love, and comfort of Christ. Thus he was drawn deeper and deeper into experiencing the most attractive Being in the universe. Could pain be the unexpected catalyst to awaken us to life’s most rewarding relationship?

2) Sharing in His sufferings leads to sharing in His resurrection power.
“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings” (Philippians 3: 10). When we turn to Him in our pain, He touches us with His powerful presence. Then His resurrection power surges in and through us. His strength is perfected in our weakness. We find ourselves in His grip with an other worldly peace, and unquenchable hope.

3) Clarity of purpose to pursue eternal goals.
“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3: 14).
To word this another way, it is extremely wise to leverage our time and efforts for eternally rewarding purposes. Then in the end, the payoff will be crystal clear. We will have answered His call, and thereby stored up vast treasures… in heaven! This is the ultimate focus, to tell of His goodness in every circumstance.

When we take our suffering and pain to the Lord, He pulls back the curtain to show us Himself. He is the Great Consolation. Where are you turning in the midst of your pain? Let’s draw near to know Him through the pain.

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. -Hebrews 12:2

I recently read of a person fighting late stage cancer who said he was in a “win-win” position. “If God heals me, I’ll be so happy. If He doesn’t, I’ll go to heaven, which is even better.” Even at 14 years of age, this young man has a firm grasp on the amazing power of Almighty God. The Lord can certainly heal any disease, and He can raise anyone from the dead. So we can trust Him either way. This is the abiding message of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Jesus set the example for this win-win approach to life… and death. Hebrews 12:2 tells us He endured the cross because He knew the joy which awaited Him in heaven. This is why Hebrews tells us “to fix our eyes on Jesus.” He not only models the attitude we hope to have in the face of death, He gives supernatural strength to help us develop that attitude.

Yet how can anyone be certain they will go to heaven? The Bible says we enter this win-win state the moment we receive Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. He promises to give the free gift of heaven to those who do this one thing – believe. Does this sound too good to be true? For more on how to get to heaven – click here.

A win-win resurrection perspective frees us from destructive feelings and thoughts. Fear and anxiety loosen their hold when we entrust our very lives into the gentle hands of God. One thing is for certain, we will eventually be healed! Have a blessed Resurrection Day!

I have a belief that might make some cringe. Here it is: There were benefits to my battle with cancer. Now before you conclude I’m losing my grip, let’s first remember God’s superior intellect. “My thoughts are not your thoughts, and My ways are not your ways” (Isaiah 55:9). It doesn’t appear that Paul, the suffering apostle, had cancer, but he was definitely acquainted with pain, as 2 Corinthians 11:23-25 makes clear.

… in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.

Paul had been physically battered because of his loyalty to God, yet he knew exactly how to cope. One might say he was an expert in pain management. In 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, he stressed a valuable benefit of suffering which helped him get through the horrible treatment he received:

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.  For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,  while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

If physical pain is leveraged correctly, it sets us free from temporal, tangible things, and it redirects us to eternal, unseen things. In other words, the comforts of this life can distract from eternal realities. Let’s face it, this earth is not our final destination. Yet we can become so caught up in earthly niceties, like homes, cars, vacations, experiences and accomplishments.

At our core, we are all spiritual beings. But no matter how many times He heals me in this life, my physical body will eventually give way to decay. So why would I invest so much in indulging earthly, physical desires? During the cancer battle, I constantly grieved that I could not play basketball, or go fishing. Though I really enjoyed these activities, I discovered I could live without them. Don’t get me wrong, God delights in giving us good things on this earth, but there is a difference between enjoying things and being distracted by them. Battling cancer helped me grasp that difference better. I have a long way to go, but now I have a firmer grip on an eternal perspective. Let’s not waste our suffering. Let it become a portal for God’s best.

Among the rewards for winning the Tour de France or The Masters, are coveted articles of clothing – the yellow jersey and the green jacket. Cyclists and golfers invest enormous time, money and effort into winning these prizes. Dallas Cowboy, Duane Thomas, put winning in perspective after Super Bowl VI. When asked what it was like to win the “ultimate” game, he said, “If it’s the ultimate [game], how come they’re playing it again next year?” Duane was right, earthly rewards eventually lose their impact. Man’s accolades will give way to God’s eternal approval. There are two eternal rewards that deserve our time, money and effort and both are symbolic articles of clothing. The first is free:

1) Get a free white robe as soon as you enter heaven*. This white robe symbolizes the complete removal of our sin.  We can be forgiven only through faith in the work of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. Through His sacrificial death on the cross He paid the penalty for our sin. So accept and receive Him as your personal Savior, and He will cleanse you, and gladly welcome you into heaven.

Revelation 7:9-10 – After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

2) Get the crown of life for faithfully enduring suffering for the sake of Jesus Christ. During tough times, it is easy to drift away from God. We lose interest because He seems distant or powerless to change our circumstances. Our disillusionment can even cause us to sin. Our trials can lead us to a deeper relationship with Him and He will reward us for remaining faithful.

James 1:12  – “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

Hang in there if you are suffering – it will all make perfect sense when the crown is placed on your head. If you haven’t picked up your free white robe, what in this world are you waiting for?

*Click here for more info on how to get to heaven.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB(c).