The Miracle of Safety

In my daily encounters, I meet many people who have had serious injuries due to accidents of various kinds. One gentleman whom I met recently has told me of his most recent injury, requiring rotator cuff surgery. Yesterday he responded that he was hurting quite badly when I asked how he is doing. He said that changes in the weather cause his leg to hurt badly as years ago he fell from the back of a flatbed truck and broke his leg in eight places.

We tend not to realize how extremely frail our bodies are. It is truly a miracle that our bodies do not fall apart. We put our bodies through terrible tests and ordinarily they hold up. This is a miracle!

In my life I cannot count the times that I have had things happen, often by my own negligence, that could have caused me serious injury. In fact, by all rational explanation, these things should have caused me untold harm. The only explanation is that God intervened and kept me safe. Either by direct intervention and protection or through an angel, God has prevented harm from coming to me on many occasions where there is no explanation according to the physical laws of this world.

Sometimes I have thought that by being careful I have remained safe. That is simply idolatry. Certainly it is God’s will that I be careful and not tempt Him regarding my safety. Nevertheless, my caution and carefulness do not keep me from harm. God does.

This awareness is humbling. It is also cause for rejoicing. Such awareness gives understanding to the proper fear of God. What if God for even a moment withdrew His hand, His power? This is what we sinful humans express as our desire whenever we turn from Him so as to commit sin. This is what most people do with their life choices and their daily ignorance. Truly this is cause for terrible fear. Yet God, in His mercy, preserves the world, until the Gospel is preached and heard by all who will be saved. In our daily lives He gives us opportunity to see His gracious intervention on our behalf. Sometimes in big ways that we can only explain as miracles, other times He simply provides for us and keeps our bodies from falling to pieces, which we tend not even to notice.

Truly, in every way, our safety, our health, our happiness, our general welfare, is a miracle.