Look Up for Help
March may be springtime in much of the country, but in the mountains of Lane County, Oregon, winter is still raging — a point that become abundantly clear to motorist Casey Ryan.
While traveling a mountain road “not maintained for winter travel,” Ryan came upon another driver who had been stuck in the snow for several days. In attempting to help the other traveler extricate his car, his own vehicle became helplessly stuck in the snow.
He tried to no avail to reach out for help, but couldn’t get a cell signal to connect a call or send a text message. Thankfully, quick thinking prevailed.
Ryan, an experienced mountain photographer/videographer, just happened to keep drone equipment in his car which he typically used for overhead photos and videos. He quickly typed out a text message to a trusted friend pleading for help, along with coordinates for his location. He then tied his phone to his drone, and sent it soaring. Once it reached a high enough elevation, the phone was able to connect with a cell tower and shoot off his text message. Help arrived soon after.
"He then typed a text message to a trusted person describing his situation and exact location, hit send, and launched the drone several hundred feet into the air." -- Lane County Sheriff
Click here for the Lane County Sheriff’s Facebook post.
Fortunately, when we need help from our Heavenly Father, we don't need to rely on a cell signal. We need but to open our mouths or hearts and utter the words. He knows right where we are. He knows just what we need, even before we can express it. That said, when trials come, it’s important for us to quickly look up and lift up our cry for help! Not because God doesn't know our situation, but because He longs for us to reach out in trust.
“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help com? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2, ESV).
“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles” (Psalm 34:17, ESV).
“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known” (Jeremiah 33:3, ESV).
Bad Passwords
I like to keep things simple, but sometimes simple can be dangerous.
I recently read an article about the worst passwords. You’ll never guess the worst one: 123456. That, indeed, takes some creativity, as did these other examples in the top 20: 12345, 12345678 and 123456789. As a change of pace, there was also 111111.
The #2 most dangerous password? Password. Yes, the word password. So if you’ve been using that one, feel free to add this line to your Facebook page: “Please, hacker, come steal my stuff, because I have no imagination whatsoever.”
Among the rest of the top 20 worst passwords were: baseball, football, monkey, dragon and mustang. However, I was particularly unhappy with the 20th worst password on the list: Michael. Yes, somehow my name ended up being used and abused as a password. So I guess now I need to change all my passwords.
Many people try to use their own name as a password to get into heaven, relying on all their efforts and accomplishments to gain access into God's domain. But only one name has been given under heaven by which we can be saved, that name is Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12).
"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12).
[To read more from Michael follow him on Twitter @MichaelDuduit]
What Job Knew
One way to study the Bible is by marking the keywords of a book. Take a keyword and follow it through to see how it is used in the text. In the book of Job, "know" is such a word. It is used often, 87 times, in fact. However, what is most interesting in the book is how it is used.
When tragedy strikes, a conversation begins between Job and his friends in which what they "know" (or think they know) is very much at the forefront. Job will argue that he doesn't know why this is happening because he has done no wrong. His three friends contend that they know Job must have committed some great sin. All the evidence they think they need to see is in Job's circumstances.
Job answers that indeed he does not know what he has done. Still, he does know one crucial fact; that God is in control (see 19:25; 31:6, et al.).
After several rounds, a fourth friend (Elihu) stands up. He has heard enough. He rebukes these four old men for running their mouths and not doing what is right (32:6-7). This young man just knows he has it all figured out (32:10, 17; 33:3; 36:4, et al.).
Then God speaks. Rather than answer Job or his friends, God challenges them. If they know so much, let them give some knowledge to the Lord God (38:2-5, 12, 18, 21, 33; 39:1-2; 40:6). In 40:1-6, Job answers the Lord. He says, "I know nothing but You. You teach me."
So, from the book of Job, what can we know?
That we do not know why any particular person is suffering.
That we can make the suffering worse for someone when we presume to know.
That the only thing we need to know when it comes to suffering is the One in control.
I may not know what tomorrow may bring. I may never know why I endure certain things. All I need to know is the Lord God. He knows all, is all-powerful, and cares for each of us.