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June 18, 2008
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=========================== TODAY'S ARTICLE ==========================
I Just Wanted to Get Out Alive, by Steve Ridgell
It was a duck hunting trip gone bad. It happened one Thanksgiving
several years ago. Mark, a close family friend, my son (then around
eleven years old), and I were hunting on land owned by some of Mark's
family. It was full of creeks and sloughs, and Mark had hunted on it
for years. It was a fairly warm afternoon when we started out, and we
were able to shoot several ducks. It was late afternoon when the storm
blew in: torrential rain and a rapid drop in temperature.
I had not thought much about that day in several years. But when Mark
called the other day and mentioned it ... all the memories came
flooding back. I remember how dark it immediately got, and how wet we
were. I remember worrying about how cold we were getting. The creek
quickly overflowed and in just a few minutes, we were in trouble. We
had gotten lost. Darkness took away the landmarks, rain obscured
everything, and the overflowing water all looked the same.
We had decided that if we could not find the trail back to camp, we
would dig in under some leaves, put my son between us and hope to
survive the night. We thought we were close to finding the way out but
it was too dark and too hard to see. We had just decided to give up and
try to ride out the storm when a lightening bolt split the sky. And
there it was ... the trail was not fifteen yards in front of us. We
still had a rough time getting out; we had some creeks to wade, and a
hard walk ... but we made it out alive and we survived.
We were asking God's help and protection. And we give God the credit
for the lightening bolt that showed us the way home. I believe it is by
His mercy that we survived. But there are lessons I need to remember
about my relationship with God that I learned in that storm. There are
lessons about life I need to remember.
It was my fault we got caught in that storm. I did not check the
weather report, we did not dress appropriately, and I did not have
matches, compass, or flashlight. Life is like that sometimes. Storms
come when we do not expect them. And they come when we are not prepared
for them. Many times I have to face the fact that the storms of life
are my fault. I don't always think things through, I am not always
prepared, and I do not see trouble coming.
God's deliverance is not just a conviction. It is a reality.
Yet God delivered me. He did it on that day, but even more amazing, he
has delivered me in life. I have hope, joy, peace, and purpose because
God has chosen to save me. Storms still come in my life, just like they
do in yours. I face them with confidence because I trust God to deliver
me safe. He has before, and He will again.
If you want to know more about how to survive the storms of life, visit
www.hopeforlife.org . Or write me at steve@hopeforlife.org.
(Expressed written consent must be obtained prior to republishing,
retransmitting or otherwise reusing the content of this article.
Are you presently experiencing a new life? God's word says, "if anyone
is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has
come!"
This new life is a free gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ. If
you want to know more about this life that only Jesus can give you,
sign up for one of our Bible courses. Wherever you are in life,
whatever you've done, you can begin again.
You may also contact us at info@hopeforlife.org if you have questions
about becoming a new creation.
---------
(c) 2008 Herald of Truth Ministries
RELATED LINKS:
* Bobby's Story of Healing
http://www.hopeforlife.org/profiles/stories/step2.asp?id=6
* Invited into the Family
http://www.hopeforlife.org/resources/invited.asp
* The Power of Names
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200801/20080109_Named%20after%20G
* Hope for Life!
This article can be found on the web at:
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200806/20080618_It was a duck hunting trip gone bad..html
=========================== FEATURED PRODUCT =========================
THE SECRET MESSAGE OF JESUS: UNCOVERING THE TRUTH THAT COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING, by Brian McLaren
Unafraid of controversy or the uncomfortable gray areas of life,
McLaren's quest is to find the essential message of Jesus' life - even
if it overturns our conventional ideas, priorities, and practices.
http://shopping.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/link?253
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