CALLING 911
This day had moments of wanting to call 911 to God. I had stomach pains and constant needs to go to the bathroom throughout the morning. In the early afternoon, my dad suggested I get a haircut and so I went. When I got out of the car my knee pain began to increase. The barber was by far one of the worst I have had in my entire life. She took about two minutes to cut my hair. (no joke) She was fast and rough with the raiser and I was sure that she would do something to hurt me. The job appeared sloppy throughout. She did not talk to me or treat me like a fellow human being. Throughout most of this day I felt pretty down physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It was not until evening time when I had dinner with three brothers at the new Hong Kong restaurant that my mood began to lift. Good company tends to have that benefit. It helps also to be eating good food. I am learning more and more about the mind-body connection and how each influences the other. When I feel down, then my physical symptoms get worse. When I feel happy, my physical symptoms reduce. To end the night, I came home just in time to catch the women's gymnastics competition. For years and years in my childhood I followed women's gymnastics. God knows the details of the things that make me happy. The timing itself was good both the time when I got home and the day in which I began to catch the olympics. I did not watch the olympics at all but just randomly thought I would turn it on and there it was,. It is so awesome when I have Psalm 139 moments where God shows up in ways that lets me know that He is here. Certainly, throughout this day, I need God. These are 911 moments that we find in this chapter. The chapter opens with this:
"Imagine waking in the middle of the night to the noise of an intruder seeking to break in. You lie still, frozen with fear. A telephone sits just a few feet away on a nightstand. All you need do is pick up the phone and dial 911, and the police will respond instantly. But what if you're from another country and know nothing of our emergency procedures? Or what if panic freezes your mind? The right call at the crucial moment could save your life. But you have to pick up the phone.
We have the same kind of "911" access to God, but our direct line to the throne of grace will do us little good if we fail to use it. Throughout the Bible we see how victories were won and negative circumstances overcome when a man or woman prayed the right prayer at the crucial moment. Out of hundreds we could choose from, here is a classic illustration from the pen of the psalmist David:
Listen to my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray. In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation (Psalm 5:2-3).
Notice the fervency of David's prayer as he asks God to "listen to my cry for help." This is a matter of desperate pleading, not relaxed prayer, because David was a man who had enemies to contend with. If he were to survive their attacks, he had to have help from heaven. There was no "plan B" lurking in the background. But David didn't need another plan, because he knew whom he was petitioning: "my King and my God," the Lord for whom nothing is impossible.
David is a man who prayed much and received much. In contrast, those who seldom ask receive in proportion to their little faith. Yet David's faith was not in the power of prayer itself but in the God who answers prayer. That is the secret of every man and woman throughout history who has learned firsthand about God's faithfulness—they knew to whom they were praying."
Many Christians have so little faith that they soon buckle under the pressures of life, while others find the grace to live joyfully above the battle even though they face far more daunting circumstances."
This last sentence sticks out to me because I am that believer who finds it hard to make it through difficult circumstances. I have so little faith. I have so little trust in my God. Yet, David had confidence in God. He prayed much with faith and received much from God. It is not like I do not feel God's help, but that my awareness of it is weak. War time is really about survival and a cry for help when the battle seems to be at that point where it doesn't look good. We cry out to God for help. No one else at that point can deliver. I like the last sentence of the Psalm, David prays, and then he waits with expectation. There is this sense that he knows God will answer his prayer for help. The author then brings this 911 prayer into different areas. The first is praying for mercy.
"Whether or not we know it, all of us are engaged in spiritual warfare daily. To prevail against the devices of Satan, it is vital that we understand one thing especially- God shows mercy in answer to prayer.
King Solomon must have known this, because on the day the temple in Jerusalem was dedicated, he lifted his hands to heaven and prayed this remarkable prayer:
Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive (1 Kings 8:30)."
I do not totally understand why the author begins with the prayer for mercy first. It is an important one and we learn in the sermon on the mount the value for asking for God's forgiveness. We all sin on a daily basis. No one is immune from sin and it is critical in spiritual warfare. The author says why it is so important because satan is called the accuser. We feel guilt and shame when we sin. So, we immediately turn to God in our sin and know that God will cleanse us from all sin. The author in this section takes aim at the deliverance movement and the idea of generational sin. This movement has made people take the problem of sin off of the individual and placed on ancestral sin. I too have wondered recently if there is any support for generational sin and find mention of it in the Old Testament. There is however no basis for it in the New. The people of God must take personal responsiblility for known sin. The next section is praying for personal guidance. He turns again to the prayer of Solomon.
"Solomon didn't stop at mercy. He also prayed for wisdom for God's people:
"Then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live" (1 Kings 8:36).
As Christians we know that the blood of Christ has washed away yesterday's sins. But how do we live today to please God? Although forgiveness of past failures is wonderful, we still must confront the challenges and complexities facing us each new day. Solomon's prayer implies that there is a teaching by the Holy Spirit that can be had by asking."
I love the thoughts that come from Solomon's prayer after the dedication of the temple. Yes, we first need God's mercy, then we need God's leading and teaching in our lives. God does not only forgive us from sin but He guides us in how to live. We have the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to help us. Many times I don't know what to do about a situation, but the Holy Spirit provides leading. Three times since I came back did I have interviews for jobs. All three interviews for bilingual social work positions. All three interviews resulted with someone else getting the position. It has been very discouraging because I have long desired to work and serve the Chinese population, but God has said no in three job positions and two application rejections in addition to the interviews. It is seeming like God did not want me to go this direction. God shows us which way to go. So far, I know where not to go, but not where to go.
"Some prayers in the Bible seem obsolete to us. They come from an era in which military battles were an ordinary part of life for God's people. What possible relevance could these petitions have for followers of Jesus? Consider Solomon's prayer:
"When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to the LORD ... then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause" (1 Kings 8:44-45).
Just as it is today, Israel was surrounded by hostile forces when Solomon was king. Without God's help, the nation could not survive. Israel's armies had to depend on God for success in battle. In his prayer Solomon was rehearsing before the Lord the principle that had applied since the days of the exodus from Egypt: Whenever God led Israel to fight, he would sustain their cause in response to prayer.
Although we live in a vastly different era, as Christians we are still involved in spiritual battles."
It seems odd that the author turns now to battle prayers. We who do not live with a war time mentality do not understand this. We often think that as Americans we are blessed to be in a country of freedom and peace for the most part. We do not know what it is like to be in a country of civil war or military dictatorship. We even have the right to own guns. However, the prayer in times of battle not just relate to physical battle, but spiritual battle. In Ephesians 6 Paul reminds us we have an enemy and it is not against other people. It is the spiritual forces and satan himself who we battle. God will give us the strength to stand in the face of spiritual battle. I face spiritual battle on a daily basis, doubt, discouragement, depression, and a lot of self-defeating negative thoughts from the enemy. I am surprised I am alive sometimes because the temptation to end it all has been so powerful in the past. God indeed has sustained me. Related very closely to battles is praying through troubles which is the next section.
"The world is increasing in troubles of every kind. Prospective wars and terrorist attacks, the danger ol nuclear and biological weapons, economic woes, and the challenge of rearing children in a hostile and immoral environment are problems we face daily. Surveys show that these difficulties and uncertainties are taking a heavy mental and emotional toll on people. New York City, where 1 pastor, was already a pretty dangerous place before suffering through 9/11 and the ensuing international tension. What is a Christian to do in the middle of all the uncertainty and trouble? The best place to start is with the promises of God:
Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you
while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise,
they will not reach him. You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble (Psalm 32:6-7).
The truth is that we live among free moral agents who often choose evil, resulting in inescapable trouble for others. This was what God's people experienced throughout history, from Noah to the apostle John. But although the "mighty waters rise," God is still a "hiding place" for the godly who pray to him in the hour of testing. Instead of complaining, we should recall the simple formula of our Lord's brother, James: "Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray" (James 5:13)."
God protects us when we pray to Him. There are troubles of all kinds. As I write this there is a flood that has hit North Korea killing hundreds. We also as Americans have not been touched by disasters of this degree with the exception of Katrina about six years back. God has not allowed something so great to happen to America yet. Yet, we face troubles still of different kinds. Currently, our economic situation has not shown the improvement as many have hoped. We as a nation have high rates of obesity, heart attacks, cancer and so many fatal diseases. Violence and theft are problems in all cities. This section on praying in times of troubles are for everyone. Currently, my health condition, joblessness situation, and time of singleness has been very difficult for me. I daily long for health, employment, and female, life-long companionship. The author ends this chapter with a powerful story that speaks right to this prayer in times of trouble. This is a very moving story to see God's involvement.
"Of all the answers to prayer for deliverance and safety, none is more remarkable than that of a young woman named Genelle Guzman-McMillan, whose prayer, whispered from beneath tons of concrete and steel, resulted in an unforgettable story of God's delivering power.
The second youngest of thirteen children, three of whom died in childbirth, Genelle grew up on the Caribbean island of Trinidad. Though her mother was a devout Catholic, Genelle disliked church, thinking it a waste of time. As the youngest girl in the family, she chafed at living in a house with so many people and so many rules to follow. When she was nineteen and expecting her first child, she moved in with her boyfriend. The relationship lasted for six years. After they split up, Genelle started spending more time at clubs and parties, feeling she was at last coming into her own, living the life she had always wanted. She loved the music, the dancing, and the partying—powerful antidotes for her painful shyness. By then she was also a single mother of two young children. But Genelle didn't mind. She had made it through college and was enjoying life as a single woman with no one to answer to."
Genelle's story appears very ordinary at first. Her lifestyle and rejection fo God seems normal for a young adult who is trying to find himself or herself. The life of parties can appear exciting and fulfilling for some time. It is not until the end of this story when we find out the situation that brings her to cry out to God. She was caught in the World Trade Center on September 11th. She finds herself praying for the first time to the God she never knew.
"That's when I started to pray. 'God, I can't take this pain. Help me get my head free of the concrete.' Then I made one hard pull, yanking upwards. I could feel the cornrows ripping from my scalp. My head was bleeding, but at least it was free.
"As I explored with my free hand, I realized I was trapped under a stairwell. By then my right foot had started to swell, and I could feel iron and steel sticking into my side. I kept trying to remove the rubble, but it was too heavy and hard. Everything was so hard. Suddenly my hand brushed against something soft. It was a body. A man's leg. Oddly, it didn't frighten me. I was just glad for the chance to rest against something soft. I fell asleep.
"When I woke again I told myself I had to do something. But what could I do? 'God, you've got to help me!' I prayed. 'You've got to show me a sign, show me a miracle, give me a second chance. Please save my life!' My eyes were so caked with grime that the tears couldn't come, but I felt it in my heart. I was talking to God as though he were right there. I told him I was ready to live my life the right way. 'Lord, just give me a second chance, and I promise I will do your will,' I fell asleep praying the words, and when I woke up I kept praying for a miracle. The more I prayed, the less I thought about the pain in my foot and my side. After a while it got so cold that I knew night had fallen. I was freezing, and still no one had found me."
This is Genelle's prayer in her situation. She is trapped, the others who were around her are now dead. We find out later that she was the last person rescued in the rubble. This truly is a crisis situation and as time goes on, her rescue seems impossible. Imagine the situation, the emotional pain and physical pain as she wonders whether or not she will be rescued from the pile of rubble. There is a man named Paul who talks with her and who holds her hand as she describes. He holds her hand until the rescuers come. This is the reflection over the incident:
"When I woke, I could hear that my would-be rescuers were above me. 'Please, God, show me a miracle now! Please help me!' I prayed. I tried yelling again, but they still couldn't locate me. So I stretched out my hand as far as I could, and this time someone grabbed it. 'Genelle, I've got you! You're going to be all right. My name is Paul. I won't let go of your hand until they get you out.'
"'Oh, thank God! Finally, someone has found me. Thank you, God!' I tried to see who it was, but my eyes were so encrusted that I couldn't make out a face, though I could feel his hand on mine. As soon as he grabbed my hand, I felt complete calmness throughout my body. Paul kept telling me I would be all right, and I believed him. I
"I didn't know it then, but I was the last survivor to be pulled out of the wreckage of what had once been the World Trade Towers."
"Then he started asking questions about my childhood, but what did that have to do with anything? A building had collapsed on top of me, for goodness' sake! That had nothing to do with the way I had grown up. I told him that God above was my psychiatrist. After all, God was there when I needed him. He had made sure I was found. He had comforted me and given me a new life. The way I saw it, the tragedy I suffered was something I needed to go through in order to know him.
"One of the doctors told me that even after four surgeries I still might not walk again. If I did, it would be with a noticeable limp. I nodded as though I had accepted the news, but silently I was praying, telling God I knew I would walk again someday, but that it would be according to his timetable. And before long I was walking, wearing a brace that extended from my foot to my knee. Once again, I was told I would need the brace for the rest of my life. But it only worked with sneakers, and I'm not a sneakers type of person. I love shoes—all kinds of shoes—and dressing up and being tall. And I love my boots!
"Every day I went to therapy, and I kept wearing my brace, but my faith in Christ was growing so much that I knew that before long I wouldn't need it anymore. By February of 2002 I took the brace off for one minute. I could walk in my bare feet! It wasn't easy but I could do it. I started to laugh out loud because I knew the Lord was strengthening my foot. Then I realized that my boots made the perfect brace, with the leather coming up tight around my calf. Since then, I've made so much progress that I can now wear normal shoes and most people don't even notice that I have a slight limp.
"Sometimes I wonder about Paul, the man who held my hand and calmed me when I thought I couldn't go on. After I got out of the hospital, a reporter interviewed me along with some of the men who rescued me. When I asked about Paul, they seemed puzzled. 'There's no one named Paul on our team,' one of them assured me. But I pressed them: 'Someone was holding my hand for at least twenty minutes when you were digging me out. He told me his name was Paul. I kept reminding myself of his name because I wanted to thank him.'
"'I'm sorry, but nobody was holding your hand when we were removing the rubble.' Though my story has been told on Oprah and CNN on television and in Guideposts and Time magazines, no one named Paul has ever stepped forward to take credit for rescuing me that day. But I know that 'Paul' was God's answer to my prayer for a miracle, a messenger of his love in the midst of my pain."
Prayer:
Father, this is a very powerful story. We see Your goodness and grace in this situation and power to safe. You send Your angel in our crisis and in Genelle's crisis situation. You kept her safe and kept her calm in her distress. I love when I hear about Your power and love to bring hope in the midst of a impossible situation. This is a really impossible situation. Father, we cry out to You in times of crisis and this chapter is about these types of situations. God, I cry out to You in my impossible situations, my joblessness, my health condition, and my increasing longing for a wife. I see little hope with these situations and cannot rely on anyone, not even myself with these situations. Father, would You be my help and my hope.
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