Psalm 139:23-24
Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me;
Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about;
See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong — then guide me on the road to eternal life.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Several decades ago, a man who lived in our community was driving a truck toward on a gravel road just outside of town. He topped a hill just as a small girl darted into the road… her mother following desperately behind her. There was no stopping, and nothing could prevent the man from hitting this little girl and killing her. The man was devastated by this tragic accident and carried the burden of his part in it for a long, long time.
I don’t know how old this man was when the accident happened, but he was young. What I do know is that he didn’t become a Christian until he was 87 years old. Think about this… for probably fifty years or more, this man carried the burden of what had happened without having a personal relationship with the only One who could truly comfort him. Bad things happen to all of us… things we have a very hard time understanding… things that break our hearts and cause us nights of fitful sleep and days of stress and worry. And the devil LOVES this! But God stands ready to help us through our burdens and heartaches. He knows our hearts and our thoughts – and He can help us sort out everything.
The young driver who gave his heart to Jesus at age 87 didn’t live much longer after that… but those were happy, peaceful months. With God’s help, he was able to forgive himself for all of the baggage that had weighed him down those many decades. He was able to anticipate spending Eternity in peace with his Heavenly Father, where I’m betting he was also welcomed by the little girl from long ago.
I will never forget when this man passed away. A visitation was held the day before the funeral, and the first person through the doors was the father of that little girl. This man was a faith-filled Christian who was known throughout our community for his service to the LORD and his fellow man. Clearly he held no ill will toward the driver. He had asked God at an early age to examine his heart and keep him on the right path… and I like to think God gave him the comfort, peace and courage to endure the death of his child and have compassion for this driver.
A lot of what happens to us seems accidental, but God can use even the worst events for His glory, if we will let Him. In this case, two things were crystal clear to me… 1) God never stops chasing after us… it’s never too late to turn to Him; and 2) God can give us strength to offer love and forgiveness where we never thought we could… to find peace and comfort in even the worst circumstances… and to serve Him with all our heart even when the burdens of life get in the way.
Have you invited God to examine you today and set you on a path toward Eternity? Have you given your heart to Jesus and asked Him to forgive your sins and fill you with His Holy Spirit? Don’t wait 87 years… or even another minute! Let God have control of your heart today. Allow Him to help you through whatever life may bring… and give you comfort and peace.
©2011 Debbie Robus
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