Can you even imagine being trapped deep inside the earth for 69 days! Seventeen of which you had no hope of even knowing that someone knew you were there, if they were coming to rescue or if you were just going to be buried alive! It's said that the faith of a few men kept them hoping.
Even when buried in darkness whether physically, emotionally or mentally We always have a hope as Christians. The Lord is our light and our salvation - whom shall I fear? Romans 8:38-39, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). The word of God, which is Christ himself is our light and our hope.
The level of despair and the unknown of whether the rescue of these workers would cause a collapse or even be successful must have been a level of stress and anxiety that few of us know. Two men stood out as leaders and encouragers [1. Luis Urzúa (The Organizational Leader)His Role: As the shift foreman, Luis Urzúa is widely credited with saving the men's lives by keeping them unified and organized.How He Encouraged Them: During the first 17 days when the world thought they were dead, he used a strict democratic voting system to maintain order. He rationed their tiny two-day supply of food so it lasted over two weeks, mapped out the tunnels for structure, and kept the men focused on survival rather than panic.The Ultimate Captain: True to his leadership role, he was the 33rd and final miner to be rescued from the depths.2. José Henríquez (The Spiritual Encourager)His Role: Nicknamed "The Pastor," Henríquez was a drill master and evangelical preacher who became the emotional and spiritual anchor for the group.How He Encouraged Them: He kept morale high by leading the men in prayer twice every day. He used his deep faith to counsel the miners through crushing anxiety and fear, reminding them to hold onto hope when everything seemed impossible.]
The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid? A stronghold is a highly defended, secure place of refuge, protection, or safety. In the scariest most unpredictable places, we are called to believe in God's word. No matter what the outcome, he is with us through it all. He is surrounding us, and under his wing we have refuge.
What happened to me next was nothing compared to what these minors went through but it gave me an insight into this scripture. During my devotional in the morning the winds were kicking up and becoming extremely strong. Soon they became violent and You could feel the whole house shaking and branches flying off of trees and hitting the house. It was relentless and it wouldn't give up. Soon it was ripping huge trees out by the roots and they were falling in our yard. Two of the trees took down the electrical wires by the road. We called the electric company but it was going to be a long time before anyone came. We had no electricity and it was dusk so we scrambled for our emergency supplies, batteries and set up some emergency lighting around the house. We called a friend of ours who literally got in his truck during the storm and came over and helped us get the generator started.
On a much smaller level the Lord was our light and salvation last night. I kept my eyes on him and not the storm as I trusted him and he in turn gave me peace. I looked at my home as The stronghold of the Lord. A highly defended secure place of refuge, protection and safety. I didn't trust in the structure but I trusted that God's mighty wing was over us.
I encourage everyone of you to know the word of God. Spend time reading it and memorizing it. Write it down and post it around your house. Because when things get scary It usually comes upon us fast and furiously. During earthquakes which I am fully experienced in because I lived in California for years. You realize there is nothing that is secure when you're going through one. All you have is God. What used to be solid, stable and reliable suddenly looks fluid. Just like drowning, your hands just go through the water and there's nothing to stabilize you. God's word is solid, it is the light in our darkness, it is our salvation, our stronghold and our hope. Please don't wait until something fearful and unstable happens in your life. Store up the treasures of God in your heart and in your mind now. So that when you fall it will be into his arms and you will know that you can survive it because of his grace, mercy and love. His word, his promises, his character and attributes will be pillars that will hold you up when you feel like crumbling.
Isaiah 43:2, ""When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you."
Insight: Our enemy the devil knows that he cannot convince people that there is no God because it's very clear in Romans chapter 1 that God has given evidence all around us of his existence and that no man has any excuse to not believe. So the enemies tactic is to convince us that there's no hurry. To put off reading the Bible, to not store up God's powerful promises and proclamations in our hearts and minds.... Do not be fooled!
Draw near to God now and he will draw near to you. James 4:8.
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