Encounter with an angel?
A friend - I'll call him Phillip - was getting gas the other night
and a man was filling up the gas tanks in the ground from his
18-wheeler. When Phillip looked at the driver, he noticed that
the driver was looking at him. So Phillip said hi to him. The
driver began to say how happy he was that Trump had become
president and that he was looking forward to great things for
America. He finished by telling Phillip to be careful driving
home (the fog was thick that night.)
Phillip finished filling his tank and turned around to say good-
bye to the driver, but he and his truck had vanished! A man
pumping gas at the next pump asked Phillip to whom he was
talking since no one else was there! Phillip could not believe
his eyes. The driver still had his hose in the ground when he
turned around to finish filling up his tank, but now he was gone!
Phillip noticed that a worker at the gas station's store had
been standing outside smoking a cigarette. She noticed the
quizzical look on Phillip's face and approached him to say that
she had seen the truck, too, but suddenly it had disappeared!
So what are we to make of Phillip's story? Surely the driver
could not have removed his hose, replaced it on the truck,
dropped the metal lid on the fuel tank, climbed into his truck,
shut his door, started the engine, put it in gear, and exited the
station without Phillip and the worker hearing or seeing him.
Phillip said that he had met an angel from heaven. This was not
the first time he had encountered an angel - I'll save that story for
another time - but what was the reason for his visit? We know the
fog was thick. Was he warning Phillip to be extra careful driving?
Did he just choose Phillip to share a message from God that
heaven was happy that Trump had won?
And what was the message for the worker? Did the angel
strengthen her faltering faith by demonstrating that the spiritual
world was just as real as the physical world? Or was it so that I
could share Phillip's story with you and strengthen your faith?
We who believe in angels know that God sends them as
messengers to help and protect us. We may never grasp in
this world the reason for the fleeting appearance of the truck
driver, but one day when we see God face to face, we will
understand. In the meantime, let us thank God for this kindly
reminder that He is very much aware of our life here on earth,
and that he will make his presence known unexpectedly at times
to make sure things go according to His plan.
And let us thank our guardian angel for watching over us and
protecting us, and for having to witness some of the sinful
and even crazy things we do when we think no one is looking!
Amen.
____________________
Psalm 7 from my new book:
A NEW LOOK AT THE OLD PSALMS
Praying the Psalms: a modern interpretation
____________________
Encounter with an angel?
A friend - I'll call him Phillip - was getting gas the other night
and a man was filling up the gas tanks in the ground from his
18-wheeler. When Phillip looked at the driver, he noticed that
the driver was looking at him. So Phillip said hi to him. The
driver began to say how happy he was that Trump had become
president and that he was looking forward to great things for
America. He finished by telling Phillip to be careful driving
home (the fog was thick that night.)
Phillip finished filling his tank and turned around to say good-
bye to the driver, but he and his truck had vanished! A man
pumping gas at the next pump asked Phillip to whom he wastalking since no one else was there! Phillip could not believe
his eyes. The driver still had his hose in the ground when he
turned around to finish filling up his tank, but now he was gone!
Phillip noticed that a worker at the gas station's store had
been standing outside smoking a cigarette. She noticed the
quizzical look on Phillip's face and approached him to say that
she had seen the truck, too, but suddenly it had disappeared!
So what are we to make of Phillip's story? Surely the driver
could not have removed his hose, replaced it on the truck,
dropped the metal lid on the fuel tank, climbed into his truck,
shut his door, started the engine, put it in gear, and exited the
station without Phillip and the worker hearing or seeing him.
Phillip said that he had met an angel from heaven. This was not
the first time he had encountered an angel - I'll save that story for
another time - but what was the reason for his visit? We know the
fog was thick. Was he warning Phillip to be extra careful driving?
Did he just choose Phillip to share a message from God that
heaven was happy that Trump had won?
And what was the message for the worker? Did the angel
strengthen her faltering faith by demonstrating that the spiritual
world was just as real as the physical world? Or was it so that I
could share Phillip's story with you and strengthen your faith?
We who believe in angels know that God sends them as
messengers to help and protect us. We may never grasp in
this world the reason for the fleeting appearance of the truck
driver, but one day when we see God face to face, we will
understand. In the meantime, let us thank God for this kindly
reminder that He is very much aware of our life here on earth,
and that he will make his presence known unexpectedly at times
to make sure things go according to His plan.
And let us thank our guardian angel for watching over us and
protecting us, and for having to witness some of the sinful
and even crazy things we do when we think no one is looking!
Amen.
____________________
Psalm 7 from my new book:
Praying the Psalms: a modern interpretation
____________________
I present here a new perspective on the psalms. I have rewritten them from a New
Testament Christ-centered point of view. I did not try to capture the poetry of the
psalms – I leave that to more gifted writers – but I attempted to capture their message
with a more modern interpretation.
Testament Christ-centered point of view. I did not try to capture the poetry of the
psalms – I leave that to more gifted writers – but I attempted to capture their message
with a more modern interpretation.
God bless,
John
____________________
Psalm
7
H
|
elp me, Father, for I am in distress. Fears and
anxieties rise up within me and threaten my peace. I sometimes feel so alone,
so weak against those who do evil. Perhaps my deepest fear is that I will
become like them and ignore your precepts. Temptations abound. Yet I know that
your justice will prevail, if not in this world, then in the next. Let me not
be found wanting, Jesus, when I appear before your judgment seat. Let your gaze
pierce my very soul to see that, although I am a weak, wounded creature, I
still strive every day to do what is pleasing to the Father.
Lord, you are not surprised when I fall, but you are
very pleased when I get back up. You are a just and righteous God who disciplines
me when necessary, just as a father corrects his child’s improper behavior. I have
free will to ignore your direction, but you love me too much to leave me to my
own devices. You are not above nudging me in the right direction. Sometimes
your nudges hurt – sometimes they hurt a lot – but I know you have my best
interests at heart. I will always praise you for all that you have done for me.
Amen.
____________________
Cover image: Christ the Saviour (Pantokrator)." Web. 25 Sept 2016.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spas_vsederzhitel_sinay.jpg
"Creative Commons License." Web. 18 May 2016.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spas_vsederzhitel_sinay.jpg
"Creative Commons License." Web. 18 May 2016.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
This book and other books I have written are posted for your reading pleasure at Booksie.
Scriptural quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation,
copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois
60189. All rights reserved.
60189. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2016 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material must
be done in its entirety with the copyright notice intact. This book is not for sale, but is
offered to the public free of charge for the glory of God.
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