June 18 ~ Daniel 10:19
The angel touched me a second time and said, "Don't be frightened! God thinks highly of you, and he intends this for your good, so be brave and strong."
At this, I regained my strength and replied, "Please speak! You have already made me feel much better."
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I saw a news story recently about Mary Bargiel, a young mother in Conway, Arkansas, who was broadsided at an intersection by a police officer on his way to answer an emergency call. The light was green as Bargiel moved into the intersection. The officer approached from the side, lights flashing and sirens blaring, but Mary did not see or hear him. The intersection has since been reworked. Both Mary Bargiel and the police officer were injured badly, especially Mary, whose injuries included a broken hand and ribs, a collapsed lung, serious brain, spinal and eye injuries, and more. The officer, who suffered a broken neck, has recovered and returned to work. Mary Bargiel has recovered enough to return home to her family, but she still has a lot of struggles - including a rod in her leg, shoe lifts to even out her body, double vision, ongoing back pain, and she may never fully regain brain function and be able to move and live as she once did.
I don’t know the prior circumstances of this Mary Bargiel’s life, but she stated in the news story that the accident probably saved her life in many ways. After the accident, she became a Christian, and her husband attested to the validity of her claims that she is a changed woman… quite literally a new person in Christ. What seemed like the most horrific event at the time has become a tremendous turning point for this woman and her family. What Satan meant for evil, God used for good.
I hope it doesn’t take a car crash at a major intersection – even figuratively – to get our attention. I hope God doesn’t have to use frightening events to show us His power – and His love – and to capture our hearts. I pray that we can stop and look around and see how blessed we are… and how much God loves us. I pray that we would trust Him to get us through the calamities and scary times in our lives… the times when we wonder and worry… and that looking back, we would say, “Yep, there He was, right beside us all along.”
How brave and strong are we? I’m ashamed to say that I have moments when I am neither. But I am determined to do better. I am convinced that God thinks highly of me and wants only the best for my life. And that is the case for each one of us. Do you see this in your own life? Are you brave and strong and recognizing God’s desire for good in your life? Start believing this today. Look around and see how God has blessed you and rescued you already. Regain your strength and feel much better. God is our refuge and our strength… feel His love and blessings…and BELIEVE in Him!
©2010 Debbie Robus
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