Psalm 124 - Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Monday, January 24, 2011
New Year's Eve - Week 1
A story like this might be hard for some people to believe. But I really do believe that God watches over all of us every day. Hopefully, we will be fortunate enough to never be in any situation like this. Sometimes when I have been delayed and am driving along the highway and see an accident, I can't help but wonder if I hadn't been delayed, if that would have been me in the accident that I see. We only need to pray and ask Him to watch over us and then we need to take the time to listen to Him and be open to Him and His Word. When all the kids were little, I used to stand at the door in St. Clair every morning and watch them walk to school and pray that God would watch over them and keep them safe. I don't do it as often as I would like to now, but I know that when I pray, I don't feel as anxious about everyone's safety as I do when it's been a long time since I last prayed. It's a challenge for all of us to make time each day to pray.
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I do agree that God is watching over us throughout the day. I still had a hard time believing that story though. I just wonder why God will intervene like that in that situation, but not in so many others like it. And at car accidents, I wonder why those people got into the accidents and not me. I usually just say a prayer then and ask God to watch over those people. It just seems so random sometimes though.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that prayer is so helpful though. I pray just about every night before bed and it helps me to be much more thankful for all that I have. Now that I'm a mom I do agree that it is easy to be anxious about the kids' safety. I will try to say a prayer now when I get anxious about how fragile life is. I just love my boys so much, that sometimes it is hard to think that something could happen to them in an instant to hurt them or take them away from me. Maybe prayer will help with those feelings.
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ReplyDeleteI've got to admit that I had to re-check the back of the book to make sure that this was a book compiled of true stories. Sometimes it does help to believe that there's something bigger out there and things happen for a reason. It gets me through my cousin's accident, but also comforts me when I'm nervous or scared about something.
ReplyDeleteSorry, my comment that was deleted was a story about a car accident I was in. I don't know if Kenny told you this already, but my freshmen year I was driving my car and hit a big patch of black ice. As the car slid towards the ditch I tried to correct but gained no traction whatsoever. As I realized it was out of my control I closed my eyes and prepared for what was to come. When I opened my eyes I was hanging upside down. Even though the car flipped I got out without a scratch, and when the Sheriff arrived he was in disbelief that I walked away. He said the roadway was a giant skating rink, and as we sat there two more cars went off the side of the road.
ReplyDeleteI didn't hear voices telling me what was to come, I didn't have a moment of clarity afterwords, just a feeling that the accident was meant to happen and I should have been hurt but for some reason I was protected.
Greta, you bring up a very interesting point about the randomness of what happens in our world. The older I get, the more I realize just how random everything really is. And it IS scary. Why does God help some but not others? I think it might be that although God is all-knowing and powerful, he also gave us the chance to choose. Sometimes people make the wrong choices and that's why bad things happen, not just to them but people around them. I don't think it is necessarily that God doesn't want to help but that it is out of his hands in a sense because he gave us free will.
ReplyDeleteMeghan, I don't remember hearing that story about your car accident. Thank you for sharing that. Kristen, I agree with you that things do happen because God gave us the choice to choose and self-will and what others choose to do sometimes affects us and/or those around us. Prayer is powerful. James 5:16 says "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective". We have to trust and believe. Someone once explained it to me this way: that here on earth we see the underside of the picture. It has loose strings and knots and the colors are all mixed up and bare spots. But when we get to heaven, we get to see the picture itself and it will be beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHere are some of my thoughts-that aren't related so I made a list:
ReplyDelete1. I always have a hard time believing when people say that God talked to them. I guess it is because I can't relate to that. If Mia would have said that she had a bad feeling, I would have completely understood that. I don't doubt that something made Mia feel like she had to get out of there.
2. There are a few close calls Jake and I have had where we both have stopped, looked at each other and said something like, "It wasn't our time yet." Once, we were headed to St. Peter and it was during the day. There was a truck with a trailer in front of us (right lane) and the trailer was really bouncy so Jake got into the left lane. Just as we had pulled into the other lane, we drove onto a bridge and hit a bump. The trailer popped off the ball and sparks were flying everywhere. Luckily, (or Jake would say, "It's not luck, it is God") they had their chains crossed and connected so the trailer stayed behind the truck. Jake always says to thank God for watching out for us.
3. I'm happy we are doing this weekly devotional as I don't take the time to think about God. I'm hoping this will get me started.
PS I peeked at the calendar and Kristen's week is the one after the baby is due. Kristen, do you think you need to switch with anyone or do you feel comfortable keeping that week?
ReplyDeleteBetsy, I don't believe that God talks to people in an out-loud voice like we talk to each other. I wonder if Mia didn't hear the voice inside her head and it sounded out-loud to her. John 10:27 says "My sheep listen to my voice...." We are God's sheep. Psalm 46:10 says "Be still, and know that I am God...." Not only are we to pray and talk to God, but if we are still and clear our mind of anything else and listen, we will hear God. Don't confuse Him with your own thoughts or other voices. He will never tell you anything that goes against what is in the Bible. Sometimes people say to me, "how did you think of that" or "how did you know what to say" and often I know that I didn't remember or know, but that it was God that helped me.
ReplyDelete