November 7, 2011
My Time Is in His Hand
I knew I was in trouble, as soon as my foot touched the platform of my deer stand. It shifted, throwing me off balance. Totally upside down, my head hit the ground ten feet below. When I stopped seeing stars, I could hear my hunting partner screaming “Are you OK?” He wouldn’t let me move for several minutes. When I did try get up, I couldn’t. We discovered a three foot pine stub sticking through my shirt pinning me to the ground. Originally, a small sapling about an inch in diameter had blocked my ladder, so I chopped the branches off leaving a sharp point at the top. It had gone through my shirt and cut a gash in my side. Jokingly, I told him I was glad I landed on my ‘hard’ head otherwise the fall might have killed me. I still didn’t realize just how close I came to dying. He began telling me what he saw. “Something turned you in mid-air.” Struggling for words, “It was like a hand grabbed you and twisted you to one side.” If I had fallen straight down, the sharp pine stub would have gone directly through my right kidney.
This was my second brush with death in just a year. I guess this would make everyone think—it certainly got my mind in gear. “Is the devil trying to kill me? Is God trying to tell me something? Why am I still alive?” These just begin the list of questions I pondered. During my search the LORD led me to several scriptures. The one that stood out most was Psalms 31:15, My times are in Your hand. Solomon tells us there is an appointed time for everything–A time to give birth and a time to die. The Holy Spirit spoke to me through these verses. I was still alive because it just wasn’t time for me to die. Maybe it was Satan trying to kill me, but by an angel or the LORD’s mighty hand, I was shifted in the air just enough to avert death.
This made me keenly aware that God had a purpose for me to fulfill. I feel an awesome responsible to fulfill that purpose every day. I said last week that God chose to adopt us and to make us His own child. That wasn’t merely to save us from an eternity in hell. He has a purpose for us in this life. It’s sad to see Christians frantically laying up earthly treasures. Most will never even gain a sense of satisfaction, let alone contentment. Isaiah wrote: Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. (Isa 55:2). We all should ask ourselves three questions—on what am I spending my valuables? For what am I laboring? To whom am I listening? After my brush with death I asked myself a couple of questions—why am I still alive? Am I fulfilling God’s purpose of me? I know the only reason I’m alive today is that God still had some ministry for me to accomplish.
Through the years I’ve had several students with the potential to do great work for the Kingdom of God, yet were killed in tragic accidents within weeks of their graduation. We tend to always ask ourselves, “Why?” We will never totally understand in this life. All we can conclude is their time was in God’s hand and their work for Him was complete.
I keep that pine stub and torn shirt in my office to remind me daily that my time is in His hand and I have a purpose to fulfill each day. As I do that, He gives me great satisfaction; He supplies all my needs; and gives me His peace and joy.
Sustaining Word for the Week:
Listen, listen to Him this week. Your time is in God’s hand and He has a unique purpose for you that will bring satisfaction and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.