It isn’t only missionaries and workers of the Kingdom who have this sense of God’s protection in danger, but I believe every child of God in a special way feels that he is under God’s direct protection. It was my first journey on foot after I arrived in Africa. I was making a visit to Salatu Station on the Dutch Reform Mission field in Nigeria. I had walked all day to arrive there and one of the missionaries on the station was kind enough to offer me his bicycle for the return journey to Wokari, where my wife was taking care of a woman who was to have a baby at that time.
Between Salatu and Wokari there were a number of bridges across smaller rivers. These bridges were made of lumber logs laid parallel across the rivers. The logs were covered with dirt and it was difficult to see the joints of the logs. It had rained and the bridges were slippery and some places the logs were not too close together either. In this way it was difficult to ride the bicycle so that the wheels would follow the center of one of these logs. It happened so that the wheels of my bike slipped to the side of one of the logs and went down between them.
At this spot the logs were far enough apart so that my foot went through the bridge until my leg was caught between two of the logs. With the weight of my body and the bicycle resting on my leg, which was caught, there was danger that my leg would break. I spent some agonizing minutes in this position and needless to say, I prayed much that God would either strengthen my leg or get me in another position where the weight wasn’t so heavy upon me. I was watching and waiting for a moment where I could change the position of my body so that the whole weight would not be on the leg; and God heard my prayer. I was then able to move my leg in one direction and get out of the trap that I was in.
Grandpa was saved from this dangerous situation, and the next post will be about a time he felt he was in even graver danger, yet was safely delivered from that situation, as well. But…and I’ve been thinking about this lately…what if he had not been? What if God had allowed his leg to be broken? People do get sick, get injured and die. So if we don’t have assurance that our life will be smooth, and that we will get the healings and answers we want, why bother praying to, and trusting in God? Is God only great and powerful when He answers how we wish Him to, or is He great and powerful all the time?
I have determined to say and believe that He is great and powerful all the time. I say He is God and I am not, and I will trust Him. I’ll call to Him when I’m in distress, and praise Him during both the good and the bad times. I’ll look to Him for answers and keep working to trust Him each day. As He has already, He will likely continue to rescue me over and over in this life until one day He will decide to take me home. My job is to trust. He is God.
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