Saved to Be Saved

From the time of the Fall to the time of the Messiah, God was, through the words of the Old Testament, sending a message to Israel, His chosen people, to come to Him. And, He also made known that His salvation would be available to the whole world.

The sin in the Garden was not the end of God's dealings with humanity. And, in Romans 15, we can read these words:

(12) ...Isaiah says: "There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope."
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Don't give up - He's coming - I am sending a Messiah...that's the message God was sending to the world, and He showed up at just the right time.  Even when we are discouraged and despair sets in, we know that He is not far away.  When disaster comes upon us, we can know His steady, secure hand and even hear His voice calling us to follow Him.  We can rejoice in the God who sees us and loves us intensely, desiring for us to come into a relationship with Himself.

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Even in the bleakest moments of our lives, we can be convinced that God is still with us, and desires to bring an outcome that brings Him glory. Isaiah 55 states:
8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.
9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Residents of the River Region have experienced destructive tornadoes the past few weeks, including the deadly storm in the Flatwood area of Montgomery County that took two lives, as well as storms that rumbled through Elmore County, including the Lake Jordan area, and the Halcyon area of the city of Montgomery in our latest round of severe weather.

These types of disasters can provide opportunities for God to work through His people. That includes being ready and available to minister to victims. 

And, we can even know that something disastrous can help point someone to the Lord. There was a story recently that was published on the Kentucky Today website that was picked up by Baptist Press about a man who came into a knowledge of Christ in the wake of a storm that hit Western Kentucky in late 2021. The article documented what occurred in the life of a 74-year-old man named Barry Stewart; it states:

Stewart and his dog, Buddy, were in their lakefront home when the devastating tornado ripped through the area. The tornado not only destroyed the house, but high winds swirled around Stewart and his dog, lifting them into the air. He clutched the collar of his dog with one hand and held a cellphone and flashlight in the other as wood and shrapnel bombarded his back.

Bryan Grigg, pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church, is quoted in the article, saying that Stewart "...had a peace about him the whole time,” adding, “He wasn’t a Christian then, but he had an odd peace. All of a sudden, he and the dog dropped face down on the ground, landing between the floor joists of the house’s foundation. God set him down in that perfect spot to protect him.”  Fortunately, Barry was found by first responders, who took him to a local shelter there in Lyon County - that's where he met the pastor's wife, Krista, a county official who helped the storm victims. Pastor Grigg says that his wife offered Barry a bowl of soup; about which he says: “God used that bowl of soup to knit his heart with hers — they became fast friends and eventually led us to invite him to our home for a Bible study."

Barry attended that study and others, Pastor Bryan says: “Through the process of attending our church and hearing the word of God preached and people loving on him — the combination of being the Lord’s hands and feet and hearing the word preached — is what God used to bring Barry to faith in Christ..." Krista noted: “We knew the Lord was working in his life, and Bryan began having very pointed conversations with him about salvation,” adding, “It was really awesome how the Lord worked through the tornado to save him. He could see the Lord was letting him know he had been saved for a reason.”

Just under a month ago, Barry Stewart, tornado victim, became a victor in Christ, accepting Jesus as His Lord and Savior. He was baptized on New Year's Day - how appropriate!

This series of events can remind us that we have to continue to maintain hope, because even in the most devastating circumstances, we can trust that God is at work.  Things may look bleak, but we can continue to look to the Lord.

The Bible tells us that God's ways are higher than our own.  Even when it seems the story is over, we know that is not the case.  And, we can be reminded that He is constantly drawing people into a saving knowledge of Himself; we can be convinced that He desires for all to come to know Him.