That Could Have Been Me

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The Lord protects you; the Lord is a shelter right by Your side. – Psalm 121:5 (CSB)

Remember when you were rushing to leave the house and it seemed everything that could go wrong, went wrong? You got out on the highway and there were blue lights, red lights, and sirens that had traffic stopped. As you slowly eased by you saw the tangled mess. “That could've been me,” you whispered with mixed feelings of relief and horror.

I, too, had an accident that could’ve easily taken my life. I drove up our steep driveway, got distracted, then got out without shifting into park. The truck began to roll backwards, and I quickly opened the passenger door to rescue my dog in the back seat. I don’t remember from then until after my truck rolled back down the steep driveway, hit a tree, spun sideways and went down an embankment. When it stopped I knew I’d broken my left arm in two places and I couldn’t move. I tried to move away from the tilted truck again and realized my t-shirt was caught under the back tire. A neighbor saw my accident and came running to help. All I could say was, "I'm so blessed.” And, “Where’s my dog?” Thankfully my golden retriever had jumped out an open window, and, yes, I was so blessed.

I had a cast on my arm and wore a sling for my fractured shoulder for six weeks, but I was alive. I lived to tell my story. God had a plan for me. He wasn’t done with me yet. Psalm 138 tells us the Lord will protect us and will fulfill His purpose for us. He protects us from the enemy when we take refuge in Him, too. Psalm 31:19-20 teaches us to fear or revere the Lord and we can find shelter in Him.

We can’t even imagine how many times we’ve been protected. The next time you are running late and it is seemingly out of your control, maybe you were being protected. If you have a story about a near-death experience, maybe God has a plan for you. Ask and listen. You might be anointed to serve in a way only God could have known and planned for you. What will you do with your second, third, or more chances to live your life for Him?

Questions for Reflection:

1. Are there times you received God’s protection that you know about?

2. Think about the protection you might not know about.

3. Has your faith protected you from falling into the enemy’s snares?

4. What ways can you use your protection to further God’s Kingdom?