Psalm 56:3 (ESV)
When I am afraid,
I put my trust
in you.
Missionaries Dick and Margaret Hillis found themselves
caught in China during the Japanese invasion. The couple lived with their two
children in the inland town of Shenkiu. The village was tense with fear, for
every day brought terrifying reports of the Japanese advance. At the worst
possible time, Dick developed appendicitis, and he knew his life depended on
making the long journey to the hospital. On January 15, 1941, with deep
foreboding, Margaret watched him leave.
Soon the Chinese colonel came with the news. The enemy
was near and townspeople must evacuate. Margaret shivered, knowing that
one-year-old Johnny and two-month-old Margaret Anne would never survive as
refugees. So she stayed put. Early next morning she tore the page from the wall
calendar and read the new day's Scripture. It was Psalm 56:3 -- What time I am
afraid, I will trust in thee.
The town emptied during the day, and the next morning
Margaret arose, feeling abandoned. The new verse on the calendar was Psalm 9:10
-- Thou, Lord, has not forsaken them that seek thee.
The next morning she arose to distant sounds of gunfire
and worried about food and her children. The calendar verse was Genesis 50:21
-- I will nourish you and your little ones. An old woman suddenly popped in
with a pail of steaming goat's milk, and another straggler arrived with a
basket of eggs.
Through the day, sounds of warfare grew louder, and
during the night Margaret prayed for deliverance. The next morning she tore the
page from the calendar to read Psalm 56:9 -- When I cry unto Thee, then shall
my enemies turn back. The battle was looming closer, and Margaret didn't go to
bed that night. Invasion seemed imminent. But the next morning, all was quiet.
Suddenly, villagers began returning to their homes, and the colonel knocked on
her door. For some reason, he told her, the Japanese had withdrawn their
troops. No one could understand it, but the danger had passed. They were safe.
Margaret glanced at her wall calendar and felt she had
been reading the handwriting of God.
God's handwriting is all around us but so often in the
midst of the wars we face, we neglect to take notice. Let's make an effort to
see His merciful hand at work in our lives today. He cares for us more than we
can imagine!
Dear Lord, thank You for always caring and being there
for us. Help our eyes be open to all that You do for us. In the Name of Jesus,
Amen.
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