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Isaiah 43:1b-2,4b – Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. You are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you. (NLT)
Our trip was going well until everything went sideways. The road in front of us was straight and the traffic light. All of a sudden, our small travel trailer began fishtailing back and forth, my husband fighting valiantly to control the wheel, to no avail. Black ice! The trailer landed on its side on the grassy median, ten miles north of Great Falls, Montana, USA.
My husband and I were on our way back to Canada after volunteering in Arizona, but we weren't supposed to be going home in the middle of March in 2020. We felt peace, though, amidst the beginnings of the COVID-19 crisis, while elsewhere, panic took over and a state of emergency was declared in Alberta. Our children were glad that we were on our way, and they waited anxiously for a text saying that we were safely over the border and headed home where we belonged.
Fear had gripped my heart in the preceding days. I worried about a wave of pestilence of biblical proportions sweeping over the land. Schools and churches were closing. Would the border close as well? Where would we self-isolate? Our adult son was immuno-compromised and lived with us, so we couldn't stay at home. My troubled thoughts raged back and forth like the lurching trailer.
During the night, the Lord spoke to me: "Do not be afraid!" As we swung back and forth over the pavement, it seemed like we were in the midst of a hurricane. I felt no fear for the few long seconds of hanging on for the ride. Miraculously, our vehicle had not overturned, and was not damaged. My husband remained calm; we were enveloped in peace.
Philippians 4:7 – The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (NKJV)
Eventually, everything fell into place, and we made it safely home. We found somewhere to self-isolate. We experienced worship on livestream for the first time. Easter was celebrated in a quiet way, with a verse reinforcing what God had told me:
Matthew 28:5a – But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid." (NKJV)
Jesus didn't say that we would never go through rivers of difficulty or escape fire that could consume us. He said, "I will be with you" in the midst of difficulty. He was with us to give us His peace even as we experienced our accident. Because He ransomed us, bought us back, we belong to Him, and we are precious to Him. Therefore, He looks after us.
One year later, our COVID-19 days are not over. We should not be discouraged. God is with us, and He will carry us through the difficult times. Let us embrace His love and care.
Prayer: Help us, Lord, not to be overwhelmed by the circumstances that surround us. Help us to remember that You said, "I will be with You", and that You will help us through our difficulties. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.
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Tuesday, December 3, 2024 – In Canada — Pray for those in small or rural churches, many of whom are struggling without adequate leaders or funds to minister to their communities. Give them faith and courage to reach out to neighbours and those who are not involved in worship and fellowship. Pray for their dependence on God to grow as they trust him for guidance and provision.
Pray: "December 3, 2024: Asking prayers for a young man , Ben who is suffering with brain cancer —..." 
Well done!
Thank you.
Amen sister!
Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for the encouragement, Alice.
Great reminder Alice, thanks, and blessings!
Thank you for a lovely and meaningful devotional. I look forward to reading you more.
Helps me, Alice. Thanks for sharing your experience and understanding in recounting these trying situations.
I am praying your prayer at this very moment. My morning was already a stressful one; my husband has dementia. I have been his caretaker for several years.
Alice, thank God you guys made it through that trial safely in spite of an accident. The Lord was indeed with you throughout that time. Thanks for sharing. To God be the glory! Blessings.
Thank you, Alice. We enjoyed your trailer story as we used to trailer and know about fishtailing. Thanks for the timely reminder that the Bible tells us that we are not to fear as many are overwhelmed at this time.
Hi Alice
Thank you for your good devotional today. It is sometimes hard to figure out why things happen, but we do know that God is always with us. Thank you so much for writing.
Great to hear that the Bible verses we have lodged in our heads pop out in an emergency! “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”
With gratitude for your inspiring thoughts at this testing time of waiting for vaccinations!
(BC)
Good morning Alice,
I have passed along this devotional to some friends. It is so hard to remember that it is God’s will and not our will. Your devotional is a good reminder to not be afraid and trust in our God. Thank you for sharing some of your personal journey.
Alice,
Thank you for this good reminder of God’s care in difficult times. I’m reminded of a song from my youth…”God will keep you in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee.” It passes understanding!
Blessings.
Hello Alice,
I haven’t seen your name before as a writer for the daily devotionals. I certainly hope you will contribute again. You are a good writer, and your piece was very helpful. I had a black ice accident once and I remember the feelings I went through at the time. Our car was badly damaged, but we were not hurt at all. May God continue to bless you in your writing ministry.
Hello Alice,
Your story in PresbyCan hit home for me. My husband and I were also scurrying home from Arizona in March 2020, for the same reason! To get home before the border closed! And our kids were also chomping at the bit to make sure we got home, especially our one son. Only difference is, our route took us east, as we live in Ontario. And I suspect, that like us, you weren’t able to go south this winter.
Greetings Alice,
Thank you for submitting this devotional. How easily we can get ourselves all worried and on edge and we must remember to slow down and remember our Lord is ever there caring for us. What relief when we keep our faith strong and take our worries to the one who will never forsake us.
Blessings for your writing today.
(B.C.)
Hello Alice, thank you for this reassurance that God is always with us, so many people during these troubled times don’t have these re-assurances to get them through the trouble times we are facing.
I know you speak the truth as I have experience is all encompassing love through many troubled times. He has spoked to me clearly in his still small voice. Such blessed assurance. Reminds me of the hymn, Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine, oh what a foretaste of glory divine.
May God continue to be your stronghold through these troubled times. This too shall end, we are His care, just as are the birds of the air. He loves us all.
God Bless You.
I can sure relate to your devotional. About the same time my daughter and I were heading home from the Arizona to Ontario. We didn’t have a trailer but still hit some bad weather that was scary.
My daughter was doing the driving and I was in the front passenger seat eyes closed and praying. To this day she thinks I was sleeping.
One of the answers to prayer was that a friend who was looking out for our cat had gone out and done enough shopping to get us through our quarantine period.
We are still in the Covid-19 pandemic, but I have learned to let God handle it and life hasn’t changed that much for us.
Hello Alice,
Thank you for sharing your experience of driving home from Arizona last March. So sorry to hear of your accident. Thankful you and your husband were ok. Hope things went well with dealing with the complication of an accident in the US. That aspect which you didn’t really cover must have been very stressful as well.
We were on the road north back to BC at the same time. We could relate to the stress and uncertainty of not knowing what we faced at the border or at home with provincial and national emergencies being declared.
Looking back, we too are so thankful for knowing the Lord in the uncertain days we live in.
Thanks again for your contribution to Daily Devotional.
(BC)
Hello Alice,
Thank you for your story and message from it. We were leaving Seattle via a visit to his family in Los Angeles on our way to Iowa. We were pulling a heavily loaded trailer with as many possessions as possible, as well as 2 very young children. There were times when I had a thought of putting at least 1 in the trailer!! That was many years ago and it was much more difficult then, but God had a plan for our lives and many years of ministries ahead.
We had to go through Las Vegas, and in sight of the city a few miles, we had to go down a very long hill. Then my husband realized he was losing control of car as the trailer didn’t want to follow us, and you know what I’m talking about. I’ll never forget the natural fear we had, but knew the Lord was our Guide in control, and He brought us safely through.
I have not thought about that for a long time but thank you for the reminder that may be used where needed. We never know.
May the Lord bless and use you greatly.
(California)
Wow, needed to be reminded.
I appreciated your writing. Thank you.
Feeling safe is a state of mind because we live in an unsafe world.
Staying close to the Lord we are enveloped by his mindset and become part of it.
Thanks for sharing.
Dear Alice,
I felt your journey sideways through your devotion. Knowing the presence of God is with us through every trial and circumstance is amazingly comforting. Thank you for sharing your experience, and the scriptures that gave you peace. Many blessings.