I do not believe there is such a thing as a near miss with God. From our vantage point things may appear to be close calls, but nothing sneaks past the God of heaven. Have you ever lost your grip on something breakable but caught it before it hit the ground? Perhaps your eyes grew big as you breathed a sight of relief, knowing that irreversible damage would have been done. God's grip never slips. Nothing outsmarts Him, overpowers Him, or catches Him off guard.
Southern California is in the middle of the first winter storm of the season. Rain has been falling lightly but steadily all day, and the wind has been blowing strong from the west. As we sat in the house, above the sound of raindrops there was a sudden crash that seemed to hit the house. Running to see what happened, to my surprise I saw my parent's 90 foot pine tree lying across the back yard. It had been uprooted by the strong winds, and crushed a wooden gate and wheelbarrow flat. The tree wrenched some of the handrail off the balcony and splintered wood on the corner. But that's not even bad news considering what could have happened. God's good whether He allows a tree to hit the house or miss the house completely, but we praised God for His grace and protection.
God allows the rain to fall on the just and unjust, and He allows trees to fall onto houses and next to them! "Absolutely amazing," my dad said with a wide grin. "To fall into an area that size, what a small window. Phenomenal!" We are counting our blessings and thank God for not only protecting the people, but the property. But was this a close call? I think not. That tree laid down exactly where it was supposed to.
In life we face greater disasters than falling trees or rainy weather. The wreckage caused by sin is greater than the heaps of twisted metal on Southern California freeways during a rain storm. Divorce, abuse, violence toward children born and unborn, drunkenness, addictions, hatred, pride, greed, and selfishness have done catastrophic damage. Precious people created in God's image are doomed to hell by their own rebellion and disobedience, ignorant of the price owed for their transgressions. Jesus died for the sins of the world that we might have life through faith in Him. All have sinned. We are not at risk, but await certain destruction apart from God, adding daily to our guilt.
But praise be to God, who has averted the disastrous end that certainly awaits all who have sinned through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Death no longer looms over the heads of Christians because Christ has paid the penalty we owe. We need not try to cheat death or "thank our lucky stars" over near misses because we are free from fear, dread, destruction, and death.
I cannot say it better than Psalm 91:1-7: "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. [2] I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust." [3] Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. [4] He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. [5] You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, [6] nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. [7] A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you."
This is the heritage of the saints. God takes no chances with the souls entrusted to Him. Rejoice in your Redeemer and Savior!
Southern California is in the middle of the first winter storm of the season. Rain has been falling lightly but steadily all day, and the wind has been blowing strong from the west. As we sat in the house, above the sound of raindrops there was a sudden crash that seemed to hit the house. Running to see what happened, to my surprise I saw my parent's 90 foot pine tree lying across the back yard. It had been uprooted by the strong winds, and crushed a wooden gate and wheelbarrow flat. The tree wrenched some of the handrail off the balcony and splintered wood on the corner. But that's not even bad news considering what could have happened. God's good whether He allows a tree to hit the house or miss the house completely, but we praised God for His grace and protection.
God allows the rain to fall on the just and unjust, and He allows trees to fall onto houses and next to them! "Absolutely amazing," my dad said with a wide grin. "To fall into an area that size, what a small window. Phenomenal!" We are counting our blessings and thank God for not only protecting the people, but the property. But was this a close call? I think not. That tree laid down exactly where it was supposed to.
In life we face greater disasters than falling trees or rainy weather. The wreckage caused by sin is greater than the heaps of twisted metal on Southern California freeways during a rain storm. Divorce, abuse, violence toward children born and unborn, drunkenness, addictions, hatred, pride, greed, and selfishness have done catastrophic damage. Precious people created in God's image are doomed to hell by their own rebellion and disobedience, ignorant of the price owed for their transgressions. Jesus died for the sins of the world that we might have life through faith in Him. All have sinned. We are not at risk, but await certain destruction apart from God, adding daily to our guilt.
I cannot say it better than Psalm 91:1-7: "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. [2] I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust." [3] Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. [4] He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. [5] You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, [6] nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. [7] A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you."
This is the heritage of the saints. God takes no chances with the souls entrusted to Him. Rejoice in your Redeemer and Savior!
Crazy stuff! What an awesome reminder of God's power and kindness. I'm glad no one was injured and the house is still moslty intact.
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