Give me a word, Lord: RESCUED

2 Samuel 22:3-4 My God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.

Nahum 1:7 The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him.

My sweet husband, Jeff, worked offshore in the oil industry for much of his life. People who haven’t lived the oilfield life do not understand, but those who live it understand completely. I’ve had people in the past tell me that it must be wonderful having a husband with such a good job, one that makes good money, and one that is gone from home half the time. He did have a really good job, and he did make good money. I can’t argue that fact, but at what cost? He was gone anywhere from 21 to 32 days at a time only to return home for 21-26 days. The days at home flew by. The days he was gone seemed to last an eternity. He missed holidays, birthdays, and many celebrations. Life of an oilfield man is not the good life most think it to be.

Jeff worked hard for his company. He worked long hours, 21 to 28 twelve hour shifts in a row, but he never complained. He has always been such a hard working man. He didn’t mind the work, but we both hated for him to be away from home. I always knew that there was danger on the rig, but it wasn’t until one dreadful morning that the reality of the danger touched my very core. About eight years ago, at 6:00 am on a Wednesday morning, I received a text message from my dear husband that read, “Well blowing. Choppers on their way. Evacuating.” My heart sunk. I tried messaging him back. There was no response. I immediately sent messages and made phone calls to my dearest friends and prayer warriors and begged for prayers. I prayed. I cried. I fretted. And I waited…and waited…and waited. I didn’t hear back from him for almost three LONG hours. He told me that the problem was temporarily under control. They had evacuated 24 non-essentials, but my husband was not considered non-essential. He is definitely very essential to me! They continued to work on the problem for almost twelve hours, and I finally received word that the the problems was fixed and that the entire crew was safe.

That was a very long, very tiring, extremely emotional day, yet through it all, I was reminded once again of our gracious Lord’s love and protection. I was reminded how important life was, also how fragile it can be. During the long hours of waiting, my thoughts were consumed with memories of previous oil rig explosions, fires, and tragedies. I was reminded of just how deeply I loved my husband. Through it all, I prayed for protection…protection for my husband and the entire crew. But I wasn’t the only one praying. I had a whole army of prayer warriors praying with me, and my God, my sweet, gracious loving God, saw fit to answer those prayers of protection that day. Not one single crewman was injured.

I think back to this day now, and I praise God for answering those prayers of protection. He is so faithful to hear the prayers of an insignificant being like me. There have been so many times in my life that God has shielded and protected me from harm when I didn’t even know that He did it. He has slowed me down on a morning drive and prevented me from being involved in an accident. He has redirected my path over and over again. He has gently whispered in my ear. The Lord doesn’t merely love us, y’all, He also protects us! Psalm 34:19 tells us, “The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.” Therefore, if we are right with the Father, if we have accepted Christ as the ruler of our hearts, and we are truly living for Him. we can rest assured that though we will have trouble, the Lord will come to our rescue every time. His means of rescue may not quite look the way we pictured it each time, but He will rescue us for our own good and His glory! If you are struggling today and in need of rescue, call on the Giver of life. Come on, what are you waiting for? He’s waiting for your call right this very moment! Let Him rescue you too!