OCTOBER 9

“Lord my God, you have done many miracles. Your plans for us are many. If I tried to tell them all, there would be too many to count” - Psalm 40:5

God delivers us from trouble. The wait may be difficult, but we can be thankful for the outcome and can tell others about it. Max Lucado

An old man walks down a Florida beach as the sun sets like an orange ball on the horizon. Waves slap the sand, and salt water stings his lips. Aside from a few joggers, the beach is deserted. Carrying a bucket of shrimps for the seagulls, the old man heads for an isolated pier. He steps up, and walks to the end – the time has come for his weekly ritual....he stands and waits. Soon the screeching of birds breaks the evening silence as the sky and moorings are filled with a mass of swooping, squabbling birds. For half an hour or so the bent old man stands on the pier surrounded by the birds until the buckets empty of shrimps. A few birds linger a while, perching on the old man's hat, and around his feet as they share time together. Not a week passes without the old man saying “thank you.”

Back in October 1943, Eddie Rickenbacker had been reported missing at sea. Eddie had been sent on a war mission with a hand-picked crew, to deliver a message to General Douglas McArthur. They set off in the “Flying Fortress” to cross the South Pacific ocean. Somewhere mid-Pacific the crew lost direction, ran out of fuel, and the plane ditched into the sea. All eight crew survived the crash and, in a life-raft, battled the weather, seas, sharks, and sun. After eight days their food and drink ran out, along with their options. It would take a miracle for them to survive....and a miracle occurred.

The men held an afternoon devotional service, taking their situation to the Lord, said a prayer, and tried to relax. Eddie pulled his hat over his eyes and began to doze – then, something landed on his head. He knew it was a seagull – he doesn't know how he knew....he just knew. That gull meant food and survival – if he could catch it....he did! The men ate the flesh and used the intestines for fishing bait, and the crew survived. Only God knows what a seagull was doing hundreds of miles away from land. Whatever the reason, their lives were saved by the miracle of a single gull.

Eddie, now a an old, retired sea captain makes a pilgrimage every Friday afternoon with his bucket of shrimps, to the isolated pier to feed the seagulls, his heart overflowing with thanks.

You know, we have much in common with Captain Eddie Rickenbacker. We too have been saved by a Sacrificial Visitor....rescued by One who travelled far from only God knows where. And we, like Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, have every reason to look into the sky....and worship.

Bryn's choice of music today is one of praise and thankfulness, saying simply – 'I Just Want to Thank you Lord' - Selah

       

     Housekeeping details for you

     The point of this short blog will become clear if you decide to use this reading in the way we intend it. Netherfield Seventh-day Adventist Church believes in healthy churches. You can see what that means if you head to the relevant Healthy Churches page of the website. We also want other churches to be healthy. That means you can join in our campaign to create healthy churches, with healthy people serving the people in those churches.

     A healthy church is one where Jesus comes first. A healthy church is one where the people work together to put Jesus first. One thing we are doing is to join people together to spread that news. I would like you to look at our prayer partners page. This will explain how we want you to use this short devotional. Very basically we want you to find a like-minded Christian friend who you will join with to : choose to pray together every day, decide together on a way to serve other people together, to help them grow as Christians - and to invite the Holy Spirit into your life every day. This blog that you will receive every day simply gives a common spiritual purpose. If you are a newcomer and want to join the blog with this object in mind click here