Rescued in the Last Minute
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
Why is it that God seems to like to wait until the last minute to come through? I have thought about this a lot recently. There were times throughout my life where I see He said, “Yes,” or made a way at the last minute. But why? The answer is simple: He enjoys seeing the faith His children have in Him and rewarding those who honestly seek Him and want to have their faith increased. Abraham is an excellent example of this. In Genesis 22:1 we see God tested Abraham. Why? Well, in Exodus 20:20, Moses said, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin." I think if God gave us quick answers to our prayers, we might not “remain in Him." Deuteronomy 8:2 says, “...and you shall remember all the ways which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these 40 years, that He might humble you, test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.” In Deuteronomy 8:16 it says, “In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end.”
“…and the child reached out his hand and was pulled out just as the roof collapsed.”
This could be a quote from any number of stories. Last minute rescues are captivating. Maybe it’s because of the suspense. In some circumstances, only minutes separate life from death. God loves last-minute rescues. He loves coming in and saving us when all hope is lost. The trouble is that sometimes it is hard to appreciate the last-minute rescue before it happens. It is hard for the damsel tied to the train tracks to be thinking, “This is going to be amazing,” when the train is approaching and her hero is nowhere in sight.
Is this how you’re feeling right now? Be confident knowing that your hero will show up, even when all hope is gone, because you know your Hero, your Lord and Savior! So you can be assured that your rescue will be beautiful.
Jesus trusted that His Father’s plan would bring about a miracle, and that His suffering would be all worth it. Through His example, we can trust the rescue God has planned for us – despite how scary it can feel right now or how many concerns flood our minds. Give it all to Him! It will be all worth it. We need to look at the “when-are-you-coming-through?” moments as some of the greatest times of opportunity to grow in intimacy and trust in our Jehovah Jireh (provider). Take your needs to Him, and you will learn God’s character like never before. It would be contrary to His nature not to provide for and protect you when you ask. He wants to show you who He is. And yes, sometimes He wants to become real to you through last minute rescues.
Father, please give me the faith in You that allows me to rejoice even when it feels like I’m tied to the tracks and the train is heading toward me. Thank you for promising to work all things together for my good and for Your glory. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.