The unique thing about the Christian faith is that it’s based on a relationship. It is not based on a list of rules. It is not defined by people showing up at a building, singing songs and listening to a guy talk about an old book. It’s based on a relationship with Someone and built on a book that explains who He is.
Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, I know them and they follow me.” If you are one of his sheep, if you’re his child, when you hear that still small voice in your heart…you know it’s Him just as well as you know your mother’s voice in a crowd. He knows you intimately. His understanding is beyond our comprehension. You follow him because you trust him. He’s your good shepherd.
A friend and I meet occasionally and had set up a time to visit and pray at her house on a Tuesday afternoon. It was a great time…we’d really connected, talked over several issues, prayed over kids, situations we both were facing. But her phone had rung off the hook. She ignored it and we talked on. I finally left and about ten minutes later, she called crying. Her husband had had a major heart attack, he was critical, she was on the way to the hospital. “Can I do anything? Take you?” No, another friend was on the way. “Pray, please pray!!” she said.
I felt like the President of the United States had just called me and said, “Only a handful of people know this, Mary Ann, but we’re going to war; the Marines are landing as we speak. Pray.” I was it.
So I began to pray, crying out to God for him to intervene in the life of this man, to work through the doctors and nurses, spare his life, take her safely there. It was frantic praying as I rushed home and rushed in and paced through my house praying, sitting in first one chair for ten seconds and then another and then giving up and pacing until I finally sat down in my bedroom.
“Leaning on the everlasting arms, safe and secure from all alarms,” began to play in my mind. It’s an old song but God dialed it up from years ago. It’s based on Deuteronomy 33:26. “There is none like the God of Jeshurun (Israel), who rides the heavens to your help, and through the skies in His majesty. The eternal God is a dwelling place (a refuge) and underneath are the everlasting arms.”
A light turned on. “You’re right….your arms are underneath him, he is safe and secure from all alarms, no matter what happens to him.” And in my heart God was saying, “Right, and what else do you know is true?”
“You are sovereign, you’re in control.” “Right…and what else?” “This did not catch you by surprise.” “Keep going.” “You have a plan. You are all powerful. You are faithful. You are loving, loving him more than we could ever know. He was right where you wanted him, in the middle of a hospital when he had the heart attack…what great timing! You are right there with him.”
I breathed deeply for the first time. Sat back. Smiled. God is good. God is personal. He is so personal…I didn’t do any of that. I didn’t sit there and try to think up what would be helpful in a crisis situation. He did. You spend years acquiring a library in your mind, songs, verses and at just the right time, he pulls them up and puts his hands on both sides of your face and says, “Look at Me….remember. Who am I? I shall continually be that which I have always been.”
Nothing’s changed. But everything changes when you see him become personal in your own life. I’m always just absolutely amazed at the wonder of it all.
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