If you knew you were facing death, would you have the inexplicable peace that comes only from knowing God?

"For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." - Philippians 1:21

I’ve never really been afraid of planes, so I was a pretty happy guy in the air. However, one day, all of a sudden, the plane on which I was flying started dropping out of the sky – with five people in a twin-engine Cessna.

It all happened so fast. The right engine had gone out, and then the left followed. We knew that within a minute or two we would crash. You’ve heard the saying that your life flashes in front of your eyes – well, that’s true. Fear for myself was quickly overcome by the thought that my wife might have to go on without her husband. And our three-month-old son? Would he have to grow up without a father?

I prayed that God would guide the pilot in bringing us down. Still, I knew the ground was quickly coming closer and closer. Amazingly, in a way I can’t explain, a peace came over me, a sureness that I would be okay whether I lived or died, because I knew Christ.

We crashed in a rice field. Part of the left wing broke off and we belly-flopped and spun to a stop. We all looked up and couldn’t believe it: we all walked away unharmed – a miracle, for sure! But the greater miracle for me was to be face-to-face with death and unafraid. That meant everything.

If you were in my seat that day, how would you have felt? Would you have that inexplicable peace that only comes from God? The good news is, with Jesus Christ, we can face death knowing that whether we live or die – we live!