Tracie Miles
"And my God will meet all of your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Phillipians 4:19 (NIV)
Recently, I "tempted fate." I teetered on the brink of death, gazed at hundreds of feet upside down, and heard blood piercing screams from all sides. There were tears and fear in people's eyes, including my own.
I took a ride on a rollercoaster!
I was a good sport during our family outing at the theme park and rode several rollercoasters. But there was one in particular that made me think. It was called The Ricochet: an erratic ride where one would practically fall off the edge of the track just before abruptly (and painfully I might add) jerking back to safety.
Each time we neared the edge of the track my stomach sunk and quick thoughts popcorned: what if a chain broke? A gear jammed? A mechanism failed? And how close would I be to my demise if these happened?
Teetering on the brink of terror, praying nothing would break and I would be jerked back to safety even if it hurt, I wondered how many times God has protected me from danger without my realization.
I thought back on my college years and questioned how I ever made it out alive. God was surely there protecting me when I made bad decisions and gave little thought to the consequences.
I thought about how fearful I was that I would never be able to have a baby, but remembered how my heart was overwhelmed as I drank in the glow of Christ's forgiveness and mercy shining through the big blue eyes of my first little girl.
I thought about my son who was born with premature lungs and could not draw his first breath, and how God protected him and helped him grow into an active little boy.
I thought about when my 18 month-old daughter fell through an attic in a two-story home, landing on the hard garage floor, miraculously escaping injury without even one broken bone in her tiny little body.
I thought about how each of my children are well and God has protected us from illness or harm.
I thought about how my marriage is still thriving, despite the trend of divorce plaguing couples today.
I thought about the day I miraculously averted a major collision. A deep gash in the bumper of my car reminds me of how close to death I was, but how God pushed that truck away just far enough to miss us. A millimeter of movement, in a millisecond of time.
I cannot help but wonder, how many other times has God protected us when we were not aware? How many times have armies of angels surrounded me and my family with a cushion of protection? How often has God stepped in between me and danger, and I didn't even know it?
A close call with danger or death is a stark reminder of God's gracious protection. I am reminded to thank Him for His goodness and protection, even during times I didn't realize His presence. I am reminded to consider the invisible Savior that is always walking closely beside me.
Be on the lookout for the invisible activity of God in your life, and don't take anything for granted today. Show Him your gratefulness.
Dear Lord, thank You for who You are, and for protecting me and loving me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?
The Wonder of His Love: A Journey into the Heart of God by Nancy Stafford
Visit Tracie’s blog and resource page
Application Steps:
Think back on the little miracles God has done in your life and thank Him.
Reflections:
In what ways has God provided for and protected me and my family?
Have I given Him credit for all He has done for me?
Power Verses:
Psalm 32:7, "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance." (NIV)
Psalm 40:11, "Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me." (NIV)
© 2009 by Tracie Miles. All rights reserved.
"And my God will meet all of your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Phillipians 4:19 (NIV)
Recently, I "tempted fate." I teetered on the brink of death, gazed at hundreds of feet upside down, and heard blood piercing screams from all sides. There were tears and fear in people's eyes, including my own.
I took a ride on a rollercoaster!
I was a good sport during our family outing at the theme park and rode several rollercoasters. But there was one in particular that made me think. It was called The Ricochet: an erratic ride where one would practically fall off the edge of the track just before abruptly (and painfully I might add) jerking back to safety.
Each time we neared the edge of the track my stomach sunk and quick thoughts popcorned: what if a chain broke? A gear jammed? A mechanism failed? And how close would I be to my demise if these happened?
Teetering on the brink of terror, praying nothing would break and I would be jerked back to safety even if it hurt, I wondered how many times God has protected me from danger without my realization.
I thought back on my college years and questioned how I ever made it out alive. God was surely there protecting me when I made bad decisions and gave little thought to the consequences.
I thought about how fearful I was that I would never be able to have a baby, but remembered how my heart was overwhelmed as I drank in the glow of Christ's forgiveness and mercy shining through the big blue eyes of my first little girl.
I thought about my son who was born with premature lungs and could not draw his first breath, and how God protected him and helped him grow into an active little boy.
I thought about when my 18 month-old daughter fell through an attic in a two-story home, landing on the hard garage floor, miraculously escaping injury without even one broken bone in her tiny little body.
I thought about how each of my children are well and God has protected us from illness or harm.
I thought about how my marriage is still thriving, despite the trend of divorce plaguing couples today.
I thought about the day I miraculously averted a major collision. A deep gash in the bumper of my car reminds me of how close to death I was, but how God pushed that truck away just far enough to miss us. A millimeter of movement, in a millisecond of time.
I cannot help but wonder, how many other times has God protected us when we were not aware? How many times have armies of angels surrounded me and my family with a cushion of protection? How often has God stepped in between me and danger, and I didn't even know it?
A close call with danger or death is a stark reminder of God's gracious protection. I am reminded to thank Him for His goodness and protection, even during times I didn't realize His presence. I am reminded to consider the invisible Savior that is always walking closely beside me.
Be on the lookout for the invisible activity of God in your life, and don't take anything for granted today. Show Him your gratefulness.
Dear Lord, thank You for who You are, and for protecting me and loving me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?
The Wonder of His Love: A Journey into the Heart of God by Nancy Stafford
Visit Tracie’s blog and resource page
Application Steps:
Think back on the little miracles God has done in your life and thank Him.
Reflections:
In what ways has God provided for and protected me and my family?
Have I given Him credit for all He has done for me?
Power Verses:
Psalm 32:7, "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance." (NIV)
Psalm 40:11, "Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me." (NIV)
© 2009 by Tracie Miles. All rights reserved.
Labels: God's Perspective, Trusting God, Walking in Faith
12 Comments:
I thank you Father for reminding me that you are ever present!!! Thank you for protecting me while I carelessly lived my life!!
amen and amen! God is so good and faithful, even when we aren't looking! Lord, help me to be aware of You all day today!
AMEN! thank you for sharing this. I am amazed and overwhelmed with thanks for how the Lord has had mercy and grace on my life.....
I am thankful today as I look at my heel. I was "heeled" by a blue heeler, Thursday, but now I am being healed by the Healer. This post reminded me how God kept me from more serious injury--my husband is a government trapper and necropsys carcasses of canine predated livestock, so I have an idea of all the potential tissue damage that can accompany a dog bite--how He provides physically, emotionally and financially to meet the needs we present before Him. Thanks for reminding me of my Safe Haven and how God keeps me at all times, whether I'm aware or not.
I am always amazed at how this ministry brings together women who may never meet but whose hearts are united in prayer and devotion. No matter where we will walk or drive today: in the crowded streets of a large city or on the open fields of this great nation, we can go through our day confident that the Maker of the Universe will be watching over us! May God bless each one of you, my sisters in the Lord.
This is where my faith wavers. It is hard for me to apply this to life when there are times that the woman who longs for a child can't have a baby. When the 18 month old child doesn't survive the fall, or lives with life altering damage, when the college student goes missing... when the rollercoaster does fail. Does that mean that God is not protecting them? I for one, don't think so. In fact, it is not my faith in God that wavers, but my faith in this world, which causes me to look up for the answers and ultimate comfort.
I certainly don't mean to be disrespectful and hope you will forgive me if I came across that way.
Hey Tammy, you also have to remember our gracious Lord also provides for all people-even the wicked and the unbelievers,and at times it seems like "they" are better off than "we" are,and I admit that makes my faith waver at times,but I always remember the parable of the sower,of how the seeds all landed on different ground,which represents us,let us be like the seeds that were sown on fertile ground! also bad things can happen to christian people,and that is because of the curse of satan and our sin,but we have the promise of forgiveness and the promise of eternal life in His Kingdom! Lets all share it!
(also stay off of rollercoasters-- I don't go near them things!)
Tammy, remember that God's purpose is much bigger than one individual. the purpose of each "bad" thing that happens could be several circles away. a car accident here, could place a child into a safe place there. that kind of thing. Having just been in the hospital, I struggled with "why me" while still sharing God's love. A kind word to a harried nurse, a really good talk with a surgeon, who turned out to be a Christian and later gave me news ("bad") from a christian brother's perspective. may be that was why i needed to be in the hospital at that time. i may never know. but every event that happens, even the little insignificant ones, happens for a purpose, to set us up for where God needs us to be.
My friend sent this to me on facebook today and I think it can apply to some of the thoughts on here with regards to pain and being a Christian.
"The settled happiness and security which we all desire, God withholds from us by the very nature of the world: but joy, pleasure and merriment, He has scattered broadcast. We are never safe, but we have plenty of fun, and some ecstacy. It is not hard to see why. The security we crave would teach us to rest our hearts in this world and oppose an obstacle to our return to God: a few moments of happy love, a landscape, a symphony, a merry meeting with our friends, a bath, or a football match, have no such tendency. Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home."
~ C.S. Lewis in The Problem with Pain
I love that, Liz. Thank you for sharing!
I thank God that he was ever present this past Wednesday night when my sister and I were traveling. It is only by the Grace of God that we were not hit head on, it was a near miss that was actually closer than I really wanted to be. But it was His hand that was there protecting us and I am grateful and thankful everyday.
Thank you so much for this! I am so thankful for God's awesome protection! Please pray for protection for our children!
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