"In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the
point of death. He prayed to the LORD, who answered him and gave him a
miraculous sign. But Hezekiah's heart was proud and he did not respond to the
kindness shown him; therefore the LORD's wrath was on him and on Judah and
Jerusalem. Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people
of Jerusalem; therefore the LORD's wrath did not come on them during the days of
Hezekiah." (2 Chronicles 32:24-26, NIV2)
On April 3, 1892, while visiting Mont-St-Michel, the
Marquis de Tombelaine reportedly decided to go for a walk on the beach. He
wasn't aware that tides could come in quite quickly, at more than a meter per
second. He also didn't know that the tide doesn't move forward at the same speed
everywhere, and the danger of being surrounded by rising waters is exponentially
high. He just went out for a walk, oblivious to all dangers.
Eventually he found himself surrounded by fog and he
lost his bearings. He couldn't see Mont St-Michel and he started to swear. For a
noble man, this truly isn't dignified. As he was trying to find his bearings, he
suddenly noticed the rising waters on his left. And then on his right. He
started to run straight ahead, but quickly found that there, too, rising waters
was coming towards him. He never made it ashore, lost forever in the North Sea.
At least he was able to avoid the famous quick sands of Mont-St-Michel!
Many others encountered the same fate at this Marquis.
Some were saved on time. Some of the saved ones turned their lives around for
good, while others continued to live life as usual. Not everyone is grateful for
a second chance in life.
The same is true during serious sickness. I have
encountered many afflicted by disease with no hope in sight. Either the illness
conquered them completely, or the sickness was defeated. Interestingly enough,
amongst the last group, each one had a different reaction. They either gave
complete credit to God and lived accordingly, or just like King Hezekiah, they
shrugged their shoulders and lived like nothing ever happened. The Bible text
suggests that it was his pride that got in his way.
"That would never happen to me!"
I would whole-heartedly agree to such a reaction, but
truthfully do we really know ourselves deep down?
Miracles can change lives, but they can also leave
many indifferent. Only if we are willing to open the doors wide of our heart to
the influence of the One who died for us, will we experience the genuine love
from above. It would not only change our indifference into total thankfulness,
it would also lead us to real, love-filled living.
Miracles aren't what drive us closer to God. It's His
love that truly attracts us to Him.
All the miracles that occurred in Egypt and the
out-of-this-world deliverance through the Red Sea and the dessert did not drive
the Israelites to fall in love with God, unlike King David, who realized that
God was all about love. After all, who else could say: "Even though I walk
through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod
and your staff, they comfort me." (Psalms 23:4, NIV2)
The only way to really getting to know Him is to be
willing to spend time with Him, just like David did. Only then can we truly
realize how much He loves us.
What is this water doing here? It's hard to see with
all of this fog. The sand is so clingy as well! I wonder what's up ahead.
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.