When Sister Maria of “The Sound of Music” fame wasn’t feeling all that great, she’d ‘simply remember’ her ‘favorite things.’ When I’m not, I take similar advice from Asaph’s Psalm 77, remembering the Lord’s past supernatural deliverances in my life. He Has delivered me many times—and no doubt has done likewise for you. In the interest of keeping things short, three events come to mind.
The first goes back to when I was a lad of six, or so. My best friend lived a block away—same street, just past the intersection. I could see his mother waiting expectantly for me as I readied myself to cross the street. Both of us dutifully looked both ways, failing to see any oncoming traffic, so I took off like hell’s proverbial escaped bat to get to the other side. By that point, as is often the case for six year-olds, my right shoe had become completely untied. It flew across the intersection to the other side while I landed squarely on my back on the pavement in the middle of it. Sight and sound came together as I saw the muffler of a speeding 50s car just above my face and heard the blood-curling scream of my friend’s mother. Imagine our mutual surprise when I righted myself unscathed, save for a blood blister on my right pinky. My angel got a purple heart that day—at least one!
The second occurred about 20 years later as I was racing to a job interview. Neither I nor the driver that swerved in front of me to take the Cicero Avenue Exit off of (Illinois) 294 South slowed down. We were both doing about 50 miles per hour at the time. Along with the swerve, I saw the frightening sight of a large rock flying out of the other guy’s pick-up bed. It hit the pavement with force and likewise bounced up off of the pavement with same—yet, as I was moving forward—and it was moving straight at my face—it stopped in mid air (while I was driving) and dropped unceremoniously into the wipers reservoir. As I drove the remainder of the ramp to the street, I realized why the driver sped in front of me—his engine was on fire. It looked as though God had intervened for two drivers at the same time.
Not too long after that, I was once again driving hurriedly down an Illinois interstate, when I noticed a disabled UPS delivery van by the side of the road. Before the days of prevalent cell phone ownership, I argued with myself as to whether or not to stop. The driver was about six feet tall with no discernible body fat, an engaging smile, and the most absolutely stunning white teeth I had ever seen! I asked how I might be able to help. He got in the car and asked me to get off at the next exit. After I turned left off of the exit, I could take another quick left and he would be at the building he needed to go to. It didn’t sound too hard—I complied. I was the only car to pull up to the parking lot, a minimum 600 feet from the two-story building. He thanked me again, said, “God bless you,” and got out of the car, closing the door behind him. I took a second to pick up something that had fallen on to the front seat passenger-side floor, and when I got up, he had vanished! He would have to have been a jet to get to that building in 1 to 2 seconds—or an angel.
Nearly two decades later, I’m reminded of a New Testament verse:
Hebrews 13: [2] Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (KJV)
Angels are not some magical beings that we call upon at will to do our bidding, but rather, they are servants of the Most High God. They serve Him at His beck and call—lifting Him up forever.
When you’re needing peace, ask the Lord to bring to your remembrance the times in which He’s delivered you, and you’ll know what real peace is. Remember that what defines something as good is not what our perspective of it is, but rather, that which has been accomplished that God wanted to accomplish in our lives through it.
b(Les)sings
New King James Version (NKJV)
Psalm 77
To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.
1 I cried out to God with my voice—
To God with my voice;
And He gave ear to me.
2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing;
My soul refused to be comforted.
3 I remembered God, and was troubled;
I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah
4 You hold my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I have considered the days of old,
The years of ancient times.
6 I call to remembrance my song in the night;
I meditate within my heart,
And my spirit makes diligent search.
7 Will the Lord cast off forever?
And will He be favorable no more?
8 Has His mercy ceased forever?
Has His promise failed forevermore?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah
10 And I said, “This is my anguish;
But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
11 I will remember the works of the LORD;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary;
Who is so great a God as our God?
14 You are the God who does wonders;
You have declared Your strength among the peoples.
15 You have with Your arm redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 The waters saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were afraid;
The depths also trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
The skies sent out a sound;
Your arrows also flashed about.
18 The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was in the sea,
Your path in the great waters,
And Your footsteps were not known.
20 You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.
