“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” Psalm 20:7 ESV
I was listening to some political pundits today driving in my car, and one of them said they didn’t have much need for God and didn’t think much about the after life. It’s the first time I’ve heard somebody actually admit that on air. It sounded and just felt odd to me.
It made me think about my walk with God and the many times He has shown up over the years.
God reveals His presence many ways, like when I feel His presence during a quiet time or in worship at church. But He has literally saved me from danger and delivered me from situations that can only be explained as miraculous.
I know that sounds cheesy or over the top dramatic but my wife and I have witnessed God show up many many times in our marriage and I have personally. So much so, that today, when He makes His presence known through circumstances, I’m not even surprised. Makes me wonder why I sometimes worry about things.
One of the first times God saved me from danger was the summer of 1992. I had been walking with God again for a couple of years and was living in San Diego, CA for the summer. I was attending a church Leadership Training camp for the summer. And while there we had to get a job. And in the evenings different pastors from our association of churches would drive in and teach on different leadership topics.
I landed a full time roofing job. I figured the pay and hours would be good and I’d see a lot of Southern California and get a stellar Cali tan! Ha!
My very first day on the job, I was sent to this three story apartment complex and had to help this guy remove the shake shingles. I arrived at the job site looked up and about quit on the spot! I hate heights.
I cowboyed up and got on the roof and we rolled the shingles in bundles and had to walk across this ladder and dump the bundle into a raised bed truck. But, to do this we had to cross a ladder that was 30 feet in the air. It was terrifying but I did it! God help me!
My first roofing lesson was to always be situationally aware of where you were on the roof. Because if you weren’t you could step off.
I was walking backwards as we were rolling the shingles and I literally took a full step off the roof. The guy I was working with face lit up in terror! I actually felt my self and my momentum going off the roof.
However, it felt like I stepped on something in mid air and was able to step back on the roof. It was nothing short of a miracle!
Once I knew I was safe, my new co-worker and I just stared at each other in disbelief! He thought I was a goner, and so did I!
The only way to describe it is God showed up and saved me.
I had another incident but this time with a huge neighborhood dog. I used to run a lot, and I would pass this ferocious fenced in dog on training runs.
One pitch black night I was walking my running route with a girlfriend and we came up on the dogs house and we heard him hit the pavement. The fence door had been opened, and we could hear his claws on the street charging our way!
I put my friend behind me thinking I would take the brunt of this crazy barking charging dog, and when he got about 5 feet from us, he stopped, turned around and walked back to his yard.
We looked at each other adrenaline pumping and couldn’t believe we survived. I’d like to think God sent an angel to protect us. But God showed up!
My last two jobs have come at miraculous times. I won’t get into the details, but God has hand delivered my last two sales jobs in such miraculous ways, that the only explanation is it was God ordained. Again, God showed up and met our needs in such incredible ways!
Now, in each of these scenarios It could have been Gods will that I fall off that roof and died, or been mauled by the ferocious dog, or gone jobless or just been miserable at a current job. But for some reason it was His will to do the opposite and prove to me to trust Him and not be afraid.
I challenge you to think about the times God has shown up in your life. Your examples may not be as dramatic as mine, but even the small times God shows up should strengthen our trust in Him and strengthen our hearts.
It’s done my heart good to reflect on my trust in God and to not worry. Let tomorrow worry about itself, there is not one thing worry has done for me.
God’s perfect will is all we need to trust in.
Matt