Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.
Psalms 51:14
I am thinking of a Christian friend of mine who was in a very bad car accident in January. Driving through a busy suburban Chicago intersection, he got T-boned by a car traveling 45 mph. He sustained seven broken ribs, a punctured and collapsed lung, and a cut-up liver. His passenger had similar injuries, including a broken pelvis. It must have been a pretty gory scene, one in which you might not expect survivors.
In his telling of the incident, my friend could have been indignant, since he had the right of way. He could have complained about all the trouble this incident caused—activities missed, all the things he and his passenger cannot do during their recovery—and perhaps long-term disabilities. Yet he does not mention the negatives. His cup is not half-empty. Indeed, he and his friend count themselves lucky to be alive to tell about it. “Long story short,” he says, “we had an angel in the car with us.”
AMEN! As the saying goes, “Every cloud has a silver lining.” How often do we see the good amidst the bad news? Do we even look for it? How often do we recognize God’s protection and love for us as individuals? And if we recognize them, do we then proclaim them to the world?
Let us be on the lookout for those angels in our lives, and let our tongues sing aloud of God’s deliverance! Let us not be afraid to tell the world what God has done for us. Confidently trust yourself to Christ your Lord and, as the author of 1 Peter says, always be ready to give an account for the hope that is in you.

Bill Josey

Appointed readings for today: Hosea 6:1-6, Psalm 51:15-20, Luke 18:9-14