DANGERS – TOILS – SNARES!

DANGERS – TOILS – SNARES!

2 Cor 11:24-28

24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

          The Apostle Paul endured many things in his travels to spread the gospel. It is clear that the devil was out to “get him” but God’s protection and providence carried him safely through. The word “watchings” is the Greek word agrupnia and means “sleeplessness!”

          That blessed old hymn, Amazing Grace, says “Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come. It is grace that brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home!” Have you had a “close call” or two and wondered how you managed to survive? It is probably God’s grace. In fact, some of us have provided quite a challenge to our guardian angel.

                In Paul Aurandt’s book, Paul Harvey's the Rest of the Story (Bantam), is one of my favorite stories about West Side Baptist Church in Beatrice, Nebraska. Normally all of the good choir people came to church on Wednesday night to practice, and they tended to be early, well before the 7:30 starting time. But one night, March 1, 1950, one by one, two by two, they all had excuses for being late.

Marilyn, the church pianist overslept on her after-dinner nap, so she and her mother were late. One girl, a high school sophomore, was having trouble with her homework. That delayed her, so she was late. One couple couldn't get their car started. They, and those they were to pick up, were subsequently late. All eighteen choir members, including the pastor and his wife, were late. All had good excuses. At 7:30, the time the choir rehearsal was to begin, not one soul was in the choir loft. This had never happened before.

But that night, the only night in the history of the church that the choir wasn't starting to practice at 7:30, was the night that there was a gas leak in the basement of the West Side Baptist Church. At precisely the time at which the choir would have been singing, the gas leak was ignited by the church furnace and the whole church blew up. The furnace room was right below the choir loft!

Dear Lord, I know I have been spared many dangers, toils and snares. I know that I have been protected many times. I know that your grace will lead me home. Thank you, Lord, for your protection and guidance. AMEN