GUIDANCE: What Every Operating System Needs

A GUIDE SURE AND TRUE: [Hebrews 6:20]

Imran Vittachi, in a Post-Dispatch report, tells of Michael Hingson who is a World Trade Center (North Tower, 78th floor) survivor. Mr. Hingson is convinced the bond between him and his four-legged savior is what saved him.

Hingson, blind since birth, has depended upon his guide dog Roselle for several years now; Roselle is a 4-year-old yellow Labrador retriever. Hingson is quoted as having said, "A guide dog and its user have a close, very deep-trusting relationship - we have to, because when I leave and go somewhere … I'm trusting [her] with my life."

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2002, Hingson was preparing to lead a training seminar for a client. At the time Hingson was a regional sales manager for Quantum ATL, a data protection company. After a colleague alerted the room that flames were coming out of the building between the 94th and 98th floors, Hingson phoned his wife, Karen. He told her that an explosion had occurred and that the building was being evacuated.

Roselle then led him calmly to the stairwell. "I didn't have time to worry about what might happen," he said, describing the mood in the stairwell as tense but without pandemonium. Hingson didn't hear the explosion at 9:03 a.m., when the second plane struck the South Tower.

Amid the double-file exodus of evacuating workers in the stairwell, Roselle faithfully tugged him to each landing, then waited for Hingson's command to move on. On the way, he heard words of encouragement from firefighters climbing the stairs. He still doesn’t know whether any of them survived. At about 9:45 a.m., Hingson and his savior reached street level – almost an hour after starting down the stairs.

We also have a Guide, One who has gone before us, behind the veil, to prepare a way of escape. He is coming again to retrieve us before this temporal world bursts into flame and collapses. He will guide us on the Way to eternal safety. The bond we have with our Savior is secure in Him. He is the Son of God. We trust Him with our eternal lives.

We the trump sounds, we are to be ready to leave, immediately, there’ll be no time to phone anyone. But, for the time being, we’re to be about our daily affairs, in the same way as Michael Hingson.

FRIENDS: A Thing That Makes Life Worth Living!

JESUS – THE ULTIMATE EXAMPLE: [John 15:12-17; other topics - Friendship, Marriage]

Someone once said, “What are friends for if you can’t use them?”

Friendship, like many other things, is a paradox … “it is both the strongest thing in the world and the most fragile. Wild horses cannot separate (true) friends, but whining words can. A man will lay down his life for his friend [John 15:13], but will not sacrifice his eardrums.” [“Points To Ponder,” Field Newspaper Syndicate (Readers Digest, 1985) p.183.]

Usually it’s the smallest thing which separate friends; it should be big things which break up friendships. Friends are worth fighting for even in difficult times, because true friends are very rare and hard to find.

Jesus, of course, offers the ultimate example of friendship, dying in His friends’ place while they were wholly unworthy of friendship.

FAITHFULNESS - God keeps His Word!

UNFULFILLED EXPECTATIONS! [Isaiah 55:11; Expectations]

Our Sunday evening song leader carefully and thoroughly prepared the congregation to learn a new chorus: “I Am the God that Healeth Thee,” by Don Moen. With a certain flourish, he pressed the PLAY button on the tape deck … suddenly the velvet-like tones of Dean Martin filled the sanctuary with “When the moon hits your eye, like a biga pizza pie … that’s amore!”

Life is like that … we all get lulled into false expectations and are surprised by the results.

Martha expected Jesus’ support but was humbled instead. [Luke 10:38-42] The Pharisees expected to trap the Lord with their conundrums but had the tables were turned on them instead. The lame man expected silver or gold but received healing instead. [Acts 3:1-8] And the rich man, because of his worldly success and wealth, expected to see heaven only to awaken to his worst nightmare. [Luke 16:19-31] Another rich man expected to live out his retirement satisfied with his good fortune, never suspecting his soul would be required of him that very night. [Luke 12:16-23]

The redeemed will do well not to count on anything this side of heaven … except that the Lord God Almighty will keep his word.