In this world, we often hear about tragic events. It can be a natural disaster, a stranded and lost person, or victims who have been mortally wounded. The world handles it by sending a search party to rescue the distressed. It’s a team of experts that have all the resources to rescue the person from the danger and save their life. They use evacuation harnesses, telescopic cameras, seismic listening devices and GPS to name a few of their tools. They know how to navigate rocky terrain and have the skills to save lives. They provide urgent care to bind up wounds and brokenness. The lost and stranded are not expected to do anything. The stranded sit patiently and hold on until the moment they are found and rescued. I thank God for all of these things and for the people He has equipped to save lives. This is one of God’s many blessings for humanity.
In the spiritual side of our lives, God does search and rescue very differently. He does nothing as we would expect. In our tragedy, we initiate the search and rescue mission and we become the search party. We search for God in the midst of our calamity and we cry out. That is the amazing moment when God sends the rescue. The rescue party is both us and Him working together. You see, He longs to partner with us in our life and even in our tragedy. It’s a reminder that we are not alone in the valley. It is through answered prayers that He shows us His love, His presence in our lives, and His will. He is not detached from your struggle; He does not ignore pain. That was the experience of Peter when he attempted to walk on water. He began to sink like a rock and in that moment he sent out his distress call, “Lord, save me!” And then Jesus provided the rescue. It wasn’t that Jesus was unaware that Peter was in trouble or that He didn’t care. He waited for the call so that He could partner with him to show Peter that his prayer would receive an answer. The rescue comes as Jesus reaches out and catches Peter at just the right moment.
This is the mystery of God. Everyone encounters distressful and tragic situations during the course of life.Those moments when we are powerless, frightened and without answers to the problems we’re facing. It’s when our strength and our will can’t stand against the magnitude of the problem; the monster that is danger, death, betrayal, disease and lack. In that moment, we realize we are small and helpless.God is so good and so wise that He has given His children the blessing of the search and rescue.We have all we need to face the adversities of life. In God’s view the weakest are the strongest. So it is with our tragedies. We have the weapon of prayer, which gives us the power to be the expert with access to knowledge, strategies and resources. That weapon is the guiding light that illuminates the way we should go. It’s the telescopic camera and listening device which allows us to hear from Him and see what He wants to reveal to our hearts. Prayer is the GPS that leads us right into the throne room of God. He blankets us with His love and supernatural peace, binds our wounds with His touch, and quenches our thirst with living water.
“Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee.”-Psalm 50:15
The Woolgatherer 