An Ever-present Help

 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
   and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea…”

Psalm 46:1, 2

My husband’s arm came across my chest with a whack. “Hold on,” he shouted, “we’re going to get hit!”

I looked up from my reading to see dust and debris flying through the air and a car heading across the wide median of the highway and both north-bound lanes of traffic. The other vehicle was in the median. The highway was littered with the remains of what had once been a pick-up camper.

We were not hit, and after calling 911, I went to see if anyone was hurt. As a former RN, I hoped to be of use. The passengers of the vehicle which caused the accident were unscathed. Two occupants of the camper wandered around in a daze, the young man saying, “We were just going down the road—and bang! I don’t know what hit us!”

Virtually all that remained was the cab of the truck and debris. It looked like the aftermath of a tornado, pieces of things were littered about for some distance, most unrecognizable.

An old woman lay on her side on the dirt, conscious, but in obvious pain. I began questioning and examining to determine her needs and sent my husband to find something to cover her with. We located her oxygen, and her breathing began to ease. Whatever she had been lying on was gone. A few ragged sleeping bags were found to warm her and soon the paramedics were there.

As Christians, we need to live in readiness. Death, illness, accidents, the loss of a job, a friend who needs help or a chance to witness, each day brings unexpected challenges. What I did for that woman came naturally.    

In the same way, I must be so familiar with God and His word that even if the foundations of my world shake, I respond in readiness from being trained in the scripture. ‘

Believers must be prepared in the knowledge of God so that a rapid response is possible. We must be prepared when someone near needs spiritual help.

Don’t neglect time in God’s word every day. We never know when it will be necessary to be God’s hands and feet because someone is shaken to the very foundations.

© Copyright by Norma Gail 

Norma’s passion is sharing Biblical Wisdom for Daily Living.  Her devotionals, poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, and in “The Secret Place.” She has led weekly women’s Bible studies for 18 years. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, FaithWriters, and the newly formed New Mexico Christian Novelists. Her website, www.normagail.com, includes a weekly devotional blog, daily scriptures, poetry, and a blog about her debut contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams, set in Scotland and New Mexico.

She lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 37 years. They have two adult children.