The Rescuer
By Tracie Miles
“They cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them, he rescued them from the grave.”
Psalm 107:19-20 (NIV)
Devotion:
As I was searching for a box in the attic, my 18 month old toddler slipped through a small hole in the 2nd story attic floor and landed in the garage about 15 feet below. Unfortunately that wasn’t the only time one of her injuries would land us in the emergency room in the years to come. But despite the fear and concern that her accidents have caused us over the years, God has used those incidences to show me not only His infinite love and protection, but also His power to perform miracles.
When my daughter fell from that 2nd story attic, disappearing through a hole which I was unaware of, I screamed and frantically rushed to where she had been standing. With horror, my heart sunk and fear filled every bone in my body as I helplessly watched her plunging to the hard concrete floor below. But her descent came to a halt with an unexplainable miracle. With my own eyes, I saw my baby gently bounce off of the hard concrete floor of the garage. It was as if she had landed on a big fluffy pillow of soft cotton, and just bounced off of it like a little feather.
Moments later after retrieving her from the garage floor, I realized she had a small bump on her forehead, but not a scratch, laceration, serious bruise, concussion or broken bone in her tiny little fragile body. The doctors could not logically or medically explain this phenomenon. They even questioned my husband and I as to whether or not she had really fallen 15 feet, especially since by the time we arrived in the emergency room, she had stopped crying and was acting like a normal happy baby at a routine checkup.
There is no other explanation for this miracle than God’s almighty hand at work. God’s mercy was with my child that day, and something besides the cold, hard concrete floor broke her fall. You see, I believe in my heart, that the strong and powerful hands of an almighty but gentle God, reached down at that exact moment in time and rescued her from imminent pain and possible death. This was God’s way of physically rescuing her and saving her from death, but it was a reminder to me that He is the ultimate rescuer of life.
When I accepted Jesus as my Savior, I too was rescued by God. Rescued from death, from sin, from the emotional suffering of past mistakes, from the pain of trying to live life on my own and from spending an eternity apart from His love.
Several years ago, the Christian group NewSong sang a song called Arise, My Love, which is a powerful song about the risen Savior. It serves as a reminder tome of what we were rescued from when He arose. The chorus says: “Sin – where is your shackles?; Death – where is your sting? Hell – has been defeated! The grave could not hold a king.” The risen savior rescued us from those things, and we are victorious through our king!
If you are living a life apart from God; falling into sin, pain, sorrow, frustration, despair, or even just the overwhelming demands of life – you need a rescuer! Simply lift up your arms, seek Him with your full heart, and lay those problems at His feet. No sooner than your prayers fill the air, will He will throw down a life raft of love, mercy, protection, provision and compassion.
Dear Lord, please rescue me. Help me to see You at work in my life, and understand how I can glorify You through these circumstances. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Reinventing Your Rainbow by Tracie Miles
Help Rescue a Child through Compassion International
Application Steps:
Write down two things in your life which you would like God to rescue you from.
Pray about them then keep a prayer journal of how you see God working in these areas.
Reflections:
Are there problems that I have been trying to handle myself?
Have I turned to God for answers, or sought answers from other measures?
Power Verses:
Psalm 18:17 “He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.” (NIV)
Psalm 81:6 "I took the world off your shoulders, freed you from a life of hard labor. You called to me in your pain; I got you out of a bad place... (MSG)
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