Devotional - A Divinely Ordained Delay

 

pub-3751615692135036

For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.
 In their hands, they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

Psalm 91:11-12 New King James Version (NKJV)

Recently I had an experience that I believe was divinely ordained. I was about to head home after a women’s meeting at church. I got in the car and turned the key in the ignition. Nothing. Strange, I thought. I took the key out and tried again. Still nothing. I did all the checks. The car was in drive, the footbrake had been released. So why wasn’t the car moving? I decided not to panic. At the suggestion of one of my passengers, I took out the key again, waited a few minutes, and then try to restart the engine. The result was the same. I was at a loss.

Then my friend decided to seek the assistance of one of the deacons. He came, he tried and got the same result. He thought maybe there was an issue with the battery. He checked and everything was fine. Then when he sensed that I was getting worried, he asked “Did you pray?” I replied in the negative. So, we proceeded to pray and commit the matter to God, asking him to reveal what was wrong.

Another deacon was summoned to assist. His first question was “Do you have a kill switch on?”.

And then I remembered! Indeed, I had the kill switch on!

I quickly reached down and turned it off and then turned the key in the ignition once again. The engine sprang to life. Relief washed over me. Problem solved.

My memory had failed once again. I had totally forgotten about the kill switch. It did not even enter my mind to check when the car failed to start. Then I remembered another incident prior when my memory had failed, and I realized that God had allowed it for a reason.

I believe that that was the same reason why I had this recent experience. Abba Father, in His wisdom, saw it was not good for me to leave and be on the road at the time that I wanted and had planned. So, He orchestrated a divine delay in the form of memory loss. He ensured that I was kept from harm and as His Word instructs us, I give thanks in everything because it is His will for us to do so, even if we cannot understand why.

I don’t know exactly why I was delayed. It could have been an accident waiting. I could have arrived home earlier and found myself in the wrong place at the wrong time. As I recalled the 9/11 attacks in the United States, many lives were spared because those persons had experienced some sort of delay and thus were not able to get to work at the usual time. One person had stopped to get coffee, another was delayed because the new pair of shoes they were wearing had caused blisters, so they stopped to purchase a band-aid. What had seemed to be minor irritations and annoyances had a major impact because their lives were spared.

I may not have all the answers, but I know that angels were watching over me. They had been sent on assignment to guard me so that no weapon formed against me would prosper. I totally believe that I had experienced a God-ordained delay.

I give all the glory and praise to God.  He continues to be faithful and true, building His hedge of protection around His children.

Reflection:

In what ways have you seen God’s handoff protection in your life?

How have you been impacted by this/these experience(s)?

What lessons have you learned from this/these experience(s)?

Prayer:

Father, I thank you for your hand of protection on my life. Thank you that you are always with me and will never forsake me. Thank you that as I surrender to you, you will order my steps and cause all things to work together for my good. In Jesus’ name. Amen.


Lona Isaacs

Feb 13, 2022.

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

POEM - Mama Was A Wise One

  Mama Was a Wise One   Mama was a wise one, she had a way with words, Mama was a wise one, mek mi tell yuh weh she used to seh!   Scornful dawg nyam dutty puddn, chicken merry, hawk deh near And when you ears too hard, she seh who cyaa hear will feel   Mama was a wise one, she taught us how to save She seh one one cocoa full basket, good advice she always gave   Mama was a wise one, leading us along the right path She taught us how to be patient, to meekly wait and murmur not   Mama was a wise one, she taught us how to pray Gentle Jesus meek and mild, each night at bedtime we would say   Mama was a wise one, she taught us the value of stability To stand our ground and not fool around, for a rolling stone gathers no moss.   Mama was a wise one, she taught us to be thrifty Not to compete with the Joneses, but to hang our basket where we can reach it   Mama was a wise one, she taught us to have a plan B Not to be swayed by so-so words, for
Read more

Devotional - A New Lease on Life

pub-3751615692135036   Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ...”  Romans 8:11  (MSG)   It is said that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and I recently had a personal experience that proves that this saying is quite true. Recently, I threw out an old fan which I had bought years ago when I started working after leaving University. Though it could still function somewhat, it wasn’t as effective as when I first bought it. Constant use over the years had started to take its toll.   It could no longer rotate; it had started to rust and the head was almost severed from the trunk. To me, it was not worth fixing. It seemed useless so I threw it out. Out with the old, in with the new. To my surprise, within a few hours it had found a new owner. My neighbour took it from the garbage heap, cleaned it off, used a piece of cloth to tie the almost severed head and in no time, he had a “new”
Read more

Devotional - A Divinely Ordained Delay (Part 2)

The steps of the righteous man are ordered by the Lord…Psalm 37:23   Recently I saw a post on Facebook which said that sometimes God delays us where we are because He knows that there is a storm ahead.  I was really encouraged as I meditated on this thought.  Our loving Father, who sees danger ahead, prevents us from moving forward as the danger ahead is not part of His plan for us. Then a few days later as I was chitchatting with my co-worker, she related how the previous afternoon she was delayed at the office until 6 pm as she could not find her car keys. She had retraced her steps to areas of the office that she had been to before and searched her bag several times. She even emptied the contents and searched the various compartments of her bag to no avail. At the end of her rope, she called out to God in her distress. Immediately, He answered by telling her to check her bag one more time. Of course, she resisted the idea because she had checked several times before.  Nevert
Read more

Words of Inspiration - Gratitude Is a Must!

  As I walked through my neighborhood early one morning this week, my heart overflowed with joy and gratitude. As I took in the sights and sounds, felt the cool breeze, and saw the sun slowly spread out its warm rays, I gave thanks to God for such wonderful blessings.  I looked towards the lush green mountains I was reminded of Psalm 121,' I will lift my eyes to the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the maker of heaven and earth'. Casting my gaze to the intersection where the mountains kissed the sky, Psalm 19 came to mind, 'The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork'. God's green earth and magnificent heaven were certainly on display and I thank God that I was blessed with sight to be a witness of this spectacle. I then began to reflect on my own personal situation. The little C had found me but you would never know if I did not tell you. I was down but certainly not out. I was just experiencing a little bump i
Read more

Devotional - Hidden Things

pub-3751615692135036 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run  with perseverance  the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12: 1   I was pleasantly surprised when what was hidden came to light. I had just bought a new fridge and two of my neighbours were assisting by taking it into the apartment. In order to create additional space at the entrance to the living room, some furniture had to be moved out of the way. It was then that I got my big surprise. Hidden behind the furniture were items I had long forgotten about, things of value that could certainly be put to good use. What were those things? A phone charger and a key ring. How did they get there? I have no idea. As I pondered what had happened, I could immediately see the parallels in our lives. Often there are hidden things in our lives that can only be revealed when we remove the ‘furniture’ aka blockages
Read more