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Psalm 119:105 – Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (KJV)
Some 21 years ago now, the deadline for income tax returns to be postmarked was just a few days away. On this particular evening, my husband Marcelo decided that it would be best to drive to the post office and drop the return into the drive-through mailbox so that it would be postmarked first thing in the morning. At the time, our granddaughter Sha, then aged 13, was visiting. Marcelo offered to treat us to an ice cream cone on the way home if we wanted to go with him to the post office.
Just as we were about to get into the car, an extremely uneasy feeling came over me. I told Marcelo, "Something is wrong, I don't feel safe. We need to pray!"
Psalm 91 came to mind, and though I couldn't remember all of it, I prayed what I could remember.
Psalm 91:1-2,11-12 – He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. (KJV)
We made it safely to the post office, but on the way to get the ice cream, we were hit by a speeding van that had run a red light. The van slammed into the driver's side of our car, pinning Marcelo behind the steering wheel.
We were taken by ambulance to the hospital. Several of Marcelo's ribs were broken, Sha had back and neck injuries, and I was very badly bruised from the seat belt, and shattered window glass had cut my hand.
We never met the driver of the van, but we were told that he was not hurt physically and that he had been driving under the influence of alcohol. Apparently, he desperately needed Jesus, and we prayed that he would be saved, healed, and delivered.
Later, when the three of us shared what we had felt upon the impact of the crash, we each described a gentle, back-and-forth, slow-motion swish, then an abrupt thud when the impact of the crash was over. I think that the gentle, slow-motion, swish sensation resulted from angels taking the actual hard blows for us.
That evening, I learned the importance of knowing and memorizing Scripture. I thanked God for the warning and for the covering of Psalm 91.
We can liken Scripture memorization to depositing money in a savings account. If we never make any deposits, there is nothing that we can withdraw when we need it.
We need to take time to read, learn, and memorize God's Word, hiding it in our hearts so that it is readily available to help us to pray effectively.
Prayer: Lord, we thank You for Your precious Word. It truly is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Amen.
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Wednesday, January 22, 2025 – In Yemen — Pray for our Yemeni national church. We now have more believers than the rest of the Saudi peninsula combined. Pray for us to be bold and discerning as we share our faith. Pray for us to also be continually growing in our relationship with Jesus.
daughter: "Update December 30, 2024: And please touch her heart that she may turn to YOU.* November 12, 2024:..." 
Wonderful story of God’s protection, Cheremiah.
Thank you for a good word today, Cheryl.
Blessings.
What a witness to God’s grace. Thanks for sharing this.
(Canada)
Thank you, Cheryl, for this testimony. I am blessed by your deep connection with our Lord.
day. It was like I gently laid to the ground. The Holy Spirit is amazing, and our behalf is working all the time.
Good morning, Cheryl,
God’s word is a light on our path indeed.
Thank you so much for your good words.
Blessings
Thank you Cheremiah for your very instructive and mindful devotional. Yes, memorizing God’s word is very beneficial to us, as we never know what circumstance we may encounter each day and confidence in His word gives us victory. Blessings for writing.
Good morning, Cheryl,
Thank you so much for this devotional. Your words make me think of a very worthwhile book by Robert Morgan entitled, One Hundred Scripture Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart. I have tried various times to get them all learned so I will get the book out again today.
Good morning, Cheryl,
I am so glad that you were all alive after this ordeal. I have never had any early warnings that I recognized, but I think I would just have stayed home and not thought of praying.
Thanks for sharing your experience and I agree — have scriptures that you know and use during the day is helpful and positive. Blessings.
Wow Cheryl, what a faithful family! Your devotional is a great encouragement to hide God’s Word in our hearts.
For almost 4 decades, my husband and I led the music program at our church. Our children’s and youth choir programs were “Christian Education through Music”. As I read the verses you quoted, I was singing each verse in my head. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Cheryl, for today’s devotion.
It reminds me of when my brother and I were in an accident.
We were both riding in the back of a pick-up truck that had a fence on the box.
We were going quite fast, when we hit the intersection and a car hit us on the front side, also going a little fast.
The truck rolled and both of us flew across the street, still holding onto the fence.
We hit the ground, and we went sliding another 10-15 feet, on our stomach.
The passenger in the cab was injured, and the driver was really only roughed up.
When it happened, I did feel that we were in a slow-motion movement.
Yes, God protected us all, the driver of the car was taken away in an ambulance.
God has entered my life many times to keep me safe since then.
For the last twenty years, I have devoted my life in His service.
I’m trying to live the life He prepared me for.
I am so thankful for Him and He has taken care of me and my family since the first accident.
Yes, memorizing some of our favourite scriptures is a good practice.
I read the bible every day and I pray always, mostly for those around me in our church community.
Life is tough to follow and keep righteous in everything we do.
Thank you and God bless you for your service,
(Québec)
Thank you for sharing this encouraging God heartfelt devotional with us.
To God be the glory. Blessings.