How many of you witnessed the collapse of Damar Hamlin during the Bills and Bengals NFL football game? He collapsed and did not move. The medical team knew something was terribly wrong and attended to him quickly. He was down much longer than usual when a player is injured.
When the ambulance quickly drove on to the field, the fans in the stadium knew something was terribly wrong. Thank God for His miracle in Damar’s life! Damar is alive and recovering from a life-threatening event.
Did you notice what happened soon after Damar went to the ground? Several Bills players kneeled as is usually the custom of players when there is a serious injury. But before long – before the ambulance left the field – the entire Bills team & staff on the field were kneeling in prayer. Bengals players joined them. Everyone in the stadium was silent and praying. Millions of TV viewers around the world were silent and praying. Even a sports announcer prayed during the live broadcast.
I remember one other time when our country went immediately into prayer. It was the terrorists attacks on 9/11/2001. It was shocking to America and the world to witness an attack on US soil. Our church, and many others around the nation and the world, held services over the next several days. For about 3 months, the attendance at church services soared! After that, it seemed that life returned to a new normal but without the continued soaring church attendance. Why? What happened, God?
Even in our Bible Study group, we recently talked about the awesome Red Sea miracle of God and how the people danced, sang, rejoiced, and praised God for protecting them and removing them from slavery to the Egyptians. But what happened three days later? Moses was leading them into the desert when they became thirsty and complained to him.
WHAT??? Did they forget the God who did a mighty miracle to save them three days prior? Where was their prayer?
What do we surmise from these three dramatic, real life examples? If we are shocked by a devastating or ultra-dramatic occurrence, we will pray? But why don’t we continue to pray? Do we stop praying now that Damar is recovering and returning home? I pray not! Of course, he is a physically fit young man, but he needs God’s help with his recovery. Should we not ask God to continue intervening in his life to help him with his physical as well as mental recovery? Should we just say, “OK, God, thanks for healing him. He’s got it now. Thanks for your help.”
I pray that is not what people are saying or believing. I pray that God is using this situation, as He did in 2001, to bring people to believe in Him; to believe that Jesus Christ is His Son; and to believe that Jesus died to give us life eternal.
God is always with us. It doesn’t take a catastrophic event for Him to become available. But isn’t it interesting that when such an event occurs, people automatically go into prayer. It doesn’t matter if we are believers or not. We go into a request for help through a prayer. Why is this?
What is in us that we “know” to pray? Who is in us that we don’t think twice about it when that catastrophe or unexpected event takes place of which we have no control? I believe that on some level, many recognize that there is a God of the universe to whom they may call. Maybe it is because we are “wired” to go to Him. It is within our very DNA, our make-up as persons and creations of God. We each possess a deep desire to connect to Him.
“For the Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”
Job 33:4 (NLT)
God is in us. He has given us life. He is waiting for that call or that request. More importantly, He is waiting for you to make the choice to accept Him and to give your life to Him. I know and believe that God is in the midst - a position of proximity to humanity.
My devotional reading this morning focused on finding God in our cluttered and uncluttered days. Sarah Young writes “I need to accept each day just as it comes to me – and search for You in the midst of it all.” (Jesus Listens by Sarah Young, page 12)
Let us all search and find our God in the midst of it all each and every day because each day is a momentous occasion to delight in.
Thanks for stopping by,
Rachel
Great blog! So true.