Heartthoughts: Rescuer

The topic in Sunday School this morning turned to David as an example of a righteous leader. David sought the Lord to see if he should attack his enemies, the Philistines, and if he did, would he come out victorious? (I Chronicles 14:10.) God told him to come against them at a different place, "against the mulberry trees." Verse 15 says, "And it shall be, when thou shalt hear a sound of going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt go out to battle: for God is gone forth before thee to smite the Philistines."

David obeyed, winning the battle against the Philistines. Verse 17 gives the results: "And the fame of David went into all the lands; and the Lord brought the fear of him upon all the nations."

The ensuing discussion prompted my husband to mention how God has helped the Jewish people even in modern times. He cited an instance in 1948 in which they were fighting a battle completely unarmed, except for hoes, rakes, and makeshift weapons. All appeared to be lost, when a swarm of bees appeared out of nowhere, stinging and discomfiting the enemy, resulting in victory for Israel.

This reminded me of something that happened to my godly mother, a widow living on her own. One day walking along a grassy patch on the way to milk her cow, she stumbled upon a nest of yellow-jackets in the ground. Furious at having their nest disturbed, the vicious, stinging insects began to swarm around her. Terrified, and having no way to defend herself, Mama called out to God. Suddenly a large dog appeared as if from nowhere and began trotting off in the opposite direction. The bee-like insects swarmed after him as he led them away and Mama reached her porch unharmed.

My mother was always quick to give the glory to God for being, in her words, "an ever-present help in time of need." On one of the last trips she took with my father, they experienced tire trouble on their way from Texas to visit us in Mississippi. Daddy was not strong enough to remove the lug nuts on the car he had struggled to jack up on the side of the busy interstate highway. In the rush of passing cars, semi-trucks and exhaust fumes, Mama began to pray, "Lord, send somebody to help us!"

Just then the whine of an engine alerted her to a giant semi pulling up behind them. The agile driver swung to the ground, smiling and coming toward them. "Oh, I was just asking for God to send help," Mama exclaimed, to which the friendly stranger replied in a Cajun accent, "Ask and you shall receive!" He had the tire off and replaced in no time, and they were on their way. Mama just knew he was an angel.

Not only does God honor obedience in righteous leaders, he also honors the faith of his humblest servants, whether they hear a rustling in the mulberry trees, the whine of a truck or the welcome sound of loping paws of an old, yellow dog. He is an ever-present Help in time of need!