A bit too warm, Sue unbuttoned her coat partway and continued through the shopping mall. However, she soon noticed that nearby and next to a bench, several people gathered around a man sprawled on the floor. “He just fainted,” someone said.
Just as Sue stepped closer, a man suddenly crowded past her. “I can help him. I just finished a course in first aid,” he announced.
Sue started to say something, but the man turned to her with an angry snarl. “Don’t bug me, lady. I know what to do. I took a first-aid course!”
Sue put a hand on his arm. “But maybe I can help.”
The guy snapped again, “Look, lady, I know what to do. And yes, I know if I can’t help, then I can call a doctor.”
Sue slipped off her coat, revealing her scrubs with the embroidered identification: Sue Jones, M.D. “You don’t need to call a doctor,” she said. “I’m already here.”
God also reminded Jacob of His guidance and provision as he left home. But the Lord also provided something Jacob only realized later: His divine presence.
It’s often the same on my spiritual journey. Like the industrious fellow Sue encountered, I forge ahead to solve any challenges, assured I can fix any issue or meet any problem myself. And sometimes I can—until I finally can’t. When my feverous ambition fails and I finally realize I can’t do it alone, I reach out for God’s help. Then I realize He was there all along—for my benefit and His glory.
How can you be more conscious of God’s imminent presence?
(photo courtesy of pixabay and 12019.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Anne Adams is a retired church staffer living in Athens, Texas, where she writes a historical column for the local newspaper. Her book Brittany, Child of Joy, tells about her mentally disabled daughter and was published in 1986 by Broadman. She has taught junior college history and has published in Christian and secular publications for forty years.