Romans 5:10-11 – For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. (NLT)

While in my early 20s, I was a nominal Christian. I went to church, but did not know Jesus as One Who died to save me from my sins and give me a "wonderful new relationship with God". Briefly, I worked for a company in Toronto, Canada, that did repairs for ships on the Great Lakes. One day, a section of a propeller shaft had to be straightened slightly. It was a heavy piece of solid steel about eight feet (2.5 metres) long and one foot (30 centimetres) in diameter. The operator suspended it on two rope slings in a press that put great pressure on the shaft to take out the warp.

Joining the other workers, I watched the gauge needle slowly vibrate its way up to a pressure of 600 pounds per square inch. Suddenly, a voice spoke in my mind — neither male nor female — with just a terse, one-word command: MOVE! A second voice instantly followed the first, a kind of wheedling voice that told me, Don't move! You'll look stupid if you move! Nobody else is moving! Don't!

Inside, though, I knew that I had to move, and I did — about ten feet (three metres) away. Seconds later, one of the rope slings broke, and the propeller shaft was launched like a missile from the press. Amazingly, the second sling held and the shaft swung back in an arc until it crushed the operator against the machine. He survived, although with multiple serious injuries. Had I not moved, the shaft would have hit me first and hurled me onto the back of a truck that was loaded with copper piping, on which I would have been impaled.

Why did God graciously warn me and spare my life? He had a plan for my life — as He does for yours. In my experience, I have found two truths that I hope will both warn and encourage us:

• Does our enemy, Satan, exist? YES! He spoke to me in that second voice. What did he hope for me? His desire was simply that I stay and die about five seconds later. Jesus said, "The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy." (John 10:10a NLT)
• Does God exist? YES! He chose to warn me, and He did so even while I was still his enemy! Such is His grace and boundless love, not just for me — I'm not special — but for you as well. And why? So that we will invite Jesus to be our Lord and Saviour. Then, "we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God." Thank You, Jesus!

Prayer: Father, by Your Holy Spirit, allow us to see Your love for us in every way that You work in our lives, no matter how small. Build our faith, and give us the desire and strength to follow You. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Don Lipsett <dllipsett@shaw.ca>
100 Mile House, British Columbia, Canada
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