Tags
2 Samuel 22:2-4, Acts 17:24-28, Anxiety, assurance, children, faith, knowledge, Motherhood, prayer, Psalm 139, Scripture, worry
Do you remember the old T.V. shows, where the sponsor of the program would be clearly named at the beginning and the end of the show? When you watch these old shows now, you might think it is hokey to see this kind of blatant product promotion, but it served to remind you that there was a cost for what you were seeing and someone had to pay it. Certain companies were associated with certain shows, and if you talk to someone who is old enough, they can tell you who the main sponsor of many popular shows was.
Now we are too sophisticated to fall for such blatant commercialism, so instead we have commercials that entertain us, but often leave us wondering what product the ad is promoting. It’s like we don’t want to think that entertainment is there for any reason but to serve us. And we certainly don’t think about the cost. We live in a “me-centered” world.
You might wonder what all this has to do with Christ. I was left once again this week thinking about how much we take all that He is and does for granted. And while we may occasionally give Him a nod of thanks, we don’t live our lives thinking that he is the “sponsor” of our every breath.
The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for ‘In him we live and move and have our being; ‘as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are indeed his offspring. (Acts 17:24-28)
God reminded me of this as our youngest son once again walked away unscathed from something that could have easily killed or seriously injured him. He packed his car and left for college on Tuesday morning. We said “good-bye” and prayed for his safe travels, in an almost routine manner. But a little more than an hour later, his trip was no longer routine. He lost control of his car on the Interstate and began to spin. He remembered his training and steered with the spin and got some control back, only to realize he was facing the wrong way, and a tractor trailer was headed in his direction. He made a split second decision and accelerated into a ditch. He also had the presence of mind to reach behind and grab the strap of his army ruck sack, which was wedged behind his seat. He pulled himself against the seat and braced before the impact. The car bent and crumpled like a pretzel. And he climbed out the passenger door. Not a scratch on him.
When I got the call from him, so soon after he had left, I knew something was wrong. And I began praying before I even answered the phone. I saw God’s hand in all of the circumstances he had lovingly arranged. My husband was home, the rain let up briefly, and on and on. But this was not something extraordinary God did for this particular situation. He is the God who knows all and works in all.
O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it. (Psalm 139:1-6)
I am exceedingly grateful that God hems me in, and lays his hand on those I love. And as I prayed my son on his trip to Kentucky in his “new” used car yesterday, I was humbled by how much God loves us, and how little we love him. I thought of David’s words when God delivered him from Saul. “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. (2 Samuel 22 2b-4)
Please don’t get me wrong in what I am grateful for. While I am grateful that my son’s physical life was preserved, I am even more grateful that God is the “sponsor” of his life, and that my son calls Christ his Lord and Savior, the one he trusts. I pray that I will become better at remembering this through all the mundane days of life, so God won’t have to keep sending me such vivid reminders!
Soli Deo Gloria,
Diane