Jesus Christ the same yesterday, to-day,
and for ever.
UNDER HIS
WINGS
An article in National Geographic
several years ago provided a penetrating
picture of God's wings. After a forest
fire in
Yellowstone National Park, forest
rangers began their trek up a mountain
to assess the inferno's damage. One
ranger found a bird literally petrified
in ashes, perched statuesquely on the
ground at the base of a tree.
Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he
knocked over the bird with a stick. When
he struck it, three tiny chicks scurried
from under their dead mother's wings.
The loving mother, keenly aware of
impending disaster, had carried her
offspring to the base of the tree and
had gathered them under her wings,
instinctively knowing that the toxic
smoke would rise. She could have flown
to safety but had refused to abandon her
babies. When the blaze had arrived and
the heat had singed her small body, the
mother had remained steadfast. Because
she had been willing to die, those under
the cover of her wings would live.
Psalms 91:4
He shall cover thee with his
feathers, and under his wings shalt thou
trust: his truth shall be thy shield and
buckler. (KJV)
But By God's Grace
In 1967 while taking a class in
photography at the University of
Cincinnati, I became acquainted with a
young man named Charles Murray who also
was a student at the school and training
for the summer Olympics of 1968 as a
high diver.
Charles was very patient with me, as I
would speak to him for hours about Jesus
Christ and how He had saved me.
Charles was not raised in a home that
attended any kind of church, so all that
I had to tell him was a fascination to
him. He even began to ask questions
about forgiveness of sin.
Finally the day came that I put a
question to him. I asked if he realized
his own need of a Redeemer and if he was
ready to trust Christ as his own Savior.
I saw his countenance fall and the
guilt in his face. But his reply was a
strong "no."
In the days that followed he was
quiet and often I felt that he was
avoiding me, until I got a phone call
and it was Charles. He wanted to know
where to look in the New Testament for
some verses that I had given him about
salvation. I gave him the reference to
several passages and asked if I could
meet with him. He declined my offer and
thanked me for the scripture. I could
tell that he was greatly troubled, but I
did not know where he was or how to help
him.
Because he was training for the
Olympic games, Charles had special
privileges at the University pool
facilities. Some time between 10:30 and
11:00 that evening he decided to go swim
and practice a few dives.
It was a clear night in October and
the moon was big and bright. The
University pool was housed under a
ceiling of glass panes so the moon shone
bright across the top of the wall in the
pool area.
Charles climbed to the highest
platform to take his first dive. At that
moment the Spirit of God began to
convict him of his sins. All the
scripture he had read, all the occasions
of witnessing to him about Christ
flooded his mind.
He stood on the platform backwards to
make his dive, spread his arms to gather
his balance, looked up to the wall and
saw his own shadow caused by the light
of the moon. It was the shape of a
cross. He could bear the burden of his
sin no longer.
His heart broke and he sat down on the
platform and asked God to forgive him
and save him. He trusted Jesus Christ
twenty some feet in the air.
Suddenly, the lights in the pool area
came on. The attendant had come in to
check the pool. As Charles looked down
from his platform he saw an empty pool
which had been drained for repairs. He
had almost plummeted to his death, but
the cross had stopped him from disaster.
1 Corinthians 1:18 -
"For the preaching of the cross
is to them that perish
foolishness; but unto us which are saved
it is the power of God." (KJV)
God
Gave Me A
Mountain
IN life .. sometimes the problems we
face seem like mountains
whether it be a loss of a loved one or
some major financial crisis
or some other pain that is very hard for
us to bear.
Whatever MOUNTAIN is in our view .. the
pain that accompanies it
is sometimes .. .too much for us to
carry alone.
Our loved ones try to give us comfort
and to some extent they do
but the pain within is still so strong
that it eats away at our
mind and our heart in the quiet times of
the day and night.
The pain within is so grave and so
strong that
we cry silently sometimes .. not sharing
our pain and wondering if
it will ever go away. Sometimes weeks,
months and even years go by
and we wonder if it will ever end.
Why do we feel such great pain, why
can't it
end and go away? Why does God give us
such big mountains?
I do not have all the answers but I do
know that God
is our comfort and our peace of mind.
It is these times that we need him more
than ever before.
...Thy word is a lamp
unto my feet and a light unto my
path!
Romans 8:28 ..And we know that all
things work together for the good
to them that love God, to them who are
the called according to His
purpose. King James
Bible
1 Corinthians 2:5 That
your
faith should not stand in the wisdom of
men, but in the power of God. King James
Bible