The horror I felt as I watched my son speed down the hill in a plastic sled was debilitating and gut wrenching. I fell to my knees in the snow and screamed his name. “Luke!” I wanted to turn away from the horror I was about to witness, but the thought that it was my own precious son made me feel I needed to watch.
It was the first snowfall of the year. My four kids had eagerly grabbed the dormant sleds from storage in the garage and were heading out to the field behind our house where a number of wonderful sledding hills awaited the winter ritual. 7 year old Luke, however, impetuously dove onto his sled in our front yard and without any forethought zoomed headfirst down the steep front yard.
Brush grew thick near the road, so the car could not see Lukes small frame on course for direct contact with the wheels of the approaching vehicle, and Luke could not see the car until he passed the brush at full speed heading into the road. From my vantage point atop the hill, I could see it all! I could see the vehicle and Luke were on a treacherous timetable for collision. My legs crumpled beneath me and I fell on my knees screaming his name, thinking “I am about to watch my son die.” as his sled hit the road at the exact same time the car was about to drive past.
It makes me shudder and feel week just retelling that incident!
But suddenly, Lukes speeding sled stopped. The front of it was lifted, as though gently grabbed by an invisible hand and held in place for the second it took the car to pass, before it was released again and now, moving much slower, completed a safe route across the street.
I cannot tell you why my sons life was spared that day. I can only tell you I believe an angelic being rescued him. The way Psalm 91:12 declares “They shall bare thee up in thy hands lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.”
Hello and welcome to “In the Secret” where we celebrate the life Gods people have with HIm as they hide in the shadow of His wings.
Today we are looking at Psalm 91:12.
I actually hurt inside recounting that story of my son Lukes near death.
After he arrived on the other side, I forced my weak and wobbly legs to carry me to Him. I hugged him and asked what had happened. He said he screamed when he saw the car.
“How did you avoid hitting it?” I asked.
“I don’t know.” He answered shakily. “I dont know.”
I looked back at the path where Lukes sled had come down the yard, especially where I saw the sled lift, and then slow. There was no hill, no rock, only a slick surface where under normal circumstances the sled would have only picked up speed. Luke’s father ran down now also, having seen the car pass from afar. Together we carried our son up the hill and thanked God for Lukes life.
Psalm 91:11- 12 tell us that God commands angels to watch over us. The King James version words it like this: “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.”
As I have been preparing these podcasts, meditating and thinking about Psalm 91, a deeper truth has really touched my heart. I see this Psalm as a beautiful rendition of Gods love and desire to protect us from harm in a much deeper way. He has such a longing for us to know the depth of His kindness and thoughts for us. He is truly a loving Father.
Now Psalm 91:11-12 is interesting in that it is quoted again in Luke 4:10-11. “It is written, He shall give His angels charge over thee to keep thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.” Oh. And the same person quoting this was also telling Jesus to jump off the pinnacle of the temple. Do you know who that was? Satan.
In my last podcast I mentioned that GOd commands His angels, we do not. Neither do we command God. Satan wanted Jesus to take on a role that was not His. As he was living life in the flesh as a human being, Jesus lived within the constraints of humanity. Except, He did it with perfection.
A little side note to ponder. Look at the phrase “Lest at any time (Was this in the original? I dont think so…Ponder that on your own and let me know what you come up with)
When Jesus was arrested in the garden He rebuked Peter when Peter cut off a servants ear to defend Him. “Thinkest Thou that I cannot pray to my Father and He shall presently give me more than 12 legions of Angels?”
Jesus told Pontius Pilate “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews.”
Yes, Jesus could have lept off the temple in a grand spectacle, and maybe angels would have appeared to softly float Jesus to the ground” Ta-da! We would all have been amazed and enraptured with “oos and Ahs” ! But it would be WRONG! Wrong because He would have been moving out of the sphere of humanity God placed Him in to live as one of us. He was required to live in a human body, as a human, to fulfill all righteousness.
Instead Jesus responds to Satan “”It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord Thy God.”
In these days, some Christian voices say “God will protect me” as I walk about mask-less and cough and breathe on others. They may accuse us of not having faith during the crisis.
They may recount how witnesses say great healing evangelist John G. Lake saw a virus die on his hand during the Bubonic plague. Listen; Beware of the temptation towards recklessness. Wash your hands! Keep your distance! Wear a mask at the grocery store.
It is possible God instructs you to do otherwise. Even John G Lake told people “As long as I keep my soul in contact with the Living God so that His Spirit is flowing into my soul and body, no germ will attach itself to me.” Is this how you are living every moment? That takes a special revelation and gift from God. Otherwise you are only tempting God and that is a Sin.
So we do not leap off tall buildings in a single bound and expect angelic rescue. BUt what we do, is take solace in the knowledge that God has not left alone and as orphans. He tells us He has heavenly helpers He will instruct to take care of us. How many stubbed toes did I NOT get because of an angel bore me up lest I dash my foot against a stone?
My husband and I were on a trip once, happliy talking and following the GPS as its calm voice instructed us how to maneuver through Illinois traffic. We were following the path when it suddenly seemed to have a change of heart. The GPS began instructing us to get off the freeway and follow a different route.
“Maybe it senses construction?” I said, although the thick red lines signalling slow traffic ahead were not showing up, we decided to simply follow its direction. We merged off the main path and ontoan adjacent freeway. Almost immedietley we knew that this was NOT the way to go. In fact, almost as soon as we took the turn off the GPS begin redirecting us to the original route. We sighed in frustration, as it was a series of long drives and loops to return. My husband even shook his head in dissaproval, assumng I had made a mistake and pressed something on the screen.
“I didn’t!” I defended myself. “I wasnt even touching it.”
15 long minutes later we were back at the same place we drove away from. As we pulled back onto the freeway we were met with slow traffic and pulsing red lights. In our absence there had been a 3 car accident, and traffic was nw being diverted around it. My husband and I looked at each other. “Do you think,” I whispered in a shocked tone, “That accident took place 15 minutes ago?”
Charlie, my husband shrugged, even as his mouth said “I believe so.”
It may not always be so obvious, but Psalm 91:11-12 insinuate the angels are continuallu assisting us. Maybe that car in front of you going 10 mphs under the speed limit is actually making sure you get to work safely. Maybe that beach that was closed due to a party kept you from picking up an illness or being injured in some way. I dont know. Neither do you. That is why we hide ourselves in the refuge that is GOD and trust Him with our lives. Whatever may come.
If you would like to do a bit more research, there are a multitude of Angelic deliverences out there! I want to direct you to a couple of my personal favorites.
There is a YOUTUBE video I watched incessantly years ago. A traffic camera appears to capture a man in an Asian country, I believe China, driving into the path of a semi-truck. Suddenly the man is on the road side instead of in front of the truck. The truck driver is seen getting out and looking under his truck, expecting to see a mangled tricycle. Instead he realizes the man is safe and sound across the street. Close-ups reveal the man shakily climbing off his small Bicylce cart and sitting on the curb. And the Angel. Well… you have to watch the video to see it! Search “Angel saved a man from death” by a youtuber named “tgorlova” Tell me ehat you think in a message.
Last year a man named “Bruce VAn Atta” came to our town and shared an amzing testimony of angels standing guard over his crushed body when he was working on a semi-truck. Its quite a story, and this man has all the documentation to prove his healing was a real miracle. Search “Bruce Van Atta,” Van Atta” online for this story.
I have a favorite picture of me. I am atop a giant Mayan Pyramid. My arms are outstretched against a deep blue Mexico sky, the Mexico landscape in the distance as I stood victoriously atop a huge stone structure I could never have climbed just 10 days previous.
It’s not the aesthics that make me love that picture.
That picture is the day I trampled on a lion and serpent.
Hello and welcome to In the secret with your Hostess Joni Scott!
A couple years ago I planned a trip to visit my son who was working in Mexico city. shortly before that trip my body rebelled. My arm and shoulder suddenly quit working, and chose instead to exude pain down my back and legs as well. My hand was numb, and unable to grip even a pen. Pain meds and chiropractors did not do a thing. I could only sit in my arm chair, or lay on the floor, arm propped a certain way, and hold still for hours at a time. I had started memorizing Psalm 91, and all I could do was pray it out loud, all day and some of the night to God.
The Mexico trip was only a week away, and I still hoped to go, except my body was not cooperating.
I thought I had my answer, when, four days before, I was scheduled to fly out when my face suddenly broke out with thick, ugly, red patches, and my lips swelled up. I had wrote an email to my son to tell him I could not go to Mexico. Somehow, I could not bring myself to push the “send,” and instead just fell apart.
My husband came upstairs and found me in a mangled mass of tears. “I can’t go! Look at me! He grimaced at my swollen red face and how I was obviously still in so much pain. He went right downstairs and called in to work just to give me some clearly needed emotional support. In the end, he actually helped me get my medical help that day as well.
Within four days my arm, my face, and my attitude were completely delivered. I went to Mexico and conquered more fears than one. at the end of my visit to Mexico I took a hot balloon ride and climbed a giant Mayan Pyramid. Both things I would not normally do even when I was healthy!
My final big event was going up the steep and seemingly unending steep stairs of the pyramid. As I went, my arm and shoulder felt increasingly better until I cast away my sling and went for it. With Gods Grace I conquered physical ailments, a swollen face, a fear of heights, and a new culture.
It was a dance-worthy moment!
I wroteabout it in a small book called “Set upon a Rock” you can purchase through Amazon.
The horror I felt as I watched my son speed down the hill in a plastic sled was debilitating and gut wrenching. I fell to my knees in the snow and screamed his name. “Luke!” I wanted to turn away from the horror I was about to witness, but the thought that it was my own precious son made me feel I needed to watch.
It was the first snowfall of the year. My four kids had eagerly grabbed the dormant sleds from storage in the garage and were heading out to the field behind our house where a number of wonderful sledding hills awaited the winter ritual. 7 year old Luke, however, impetuously dove onto his sled in our front yard and without any forethought zoomed headfirst down the steep front yard.
Brush grew thick near the road, so the car could not see Lukes small frame on course for direct contact with the wheels of the approaching vehicle, and Luke could not see the car until he passed the brush at full speed heading into the road. From my vantage point atop the hill, I could see it all! I could see the vehicle and Luke were on a treacherous timetable for collision. My legs crumpled beneath me and I fell on my knees screaming his name, thinking “I am about to watch my son die.” as his sled hit the road at the exact same time the car was about to drive past.
It makes me shudder and feel week just retelling that incident!
But suddenly, Lukes speeding sled stopped. The front of it was lifted, as though gently grabbed by an invisible hand and held in place for the second it took the car to pass, before it was released again and now, moving much slower, completed a safe route across the street.
I cannot tell you why my sons life was spared that day. I can only tell you I believe an angelic being rescued him. The way Psalm 91:12 declares “They shall bare thee up in thy hands lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.”
Hello and welcome to “In the Secret” where we celebrate the life Gods people have with HIm as they hide in the shadow of His wings.
Today we are looking at Psalm 91:12.
I actually hurt inside recounting that story of my son Lukes near death.
After he arrived on the other side, I forced my weak and wobbly legs to carry me to Him. I hugged him and asked what had happened. He said he screamed when he saw the car.
“How did you avoid hitting it?” I asked.
“I don’t know.” He answered shakily. “I dont know.”
I looked back at the path where Lukes sled had come down the yard, especially where I saw the sled lift, and then slow. There was no hill, no rock, only a slick surface where under normal circumstances the sled would have only picked up speed. Luke’s father ran down now also, having seen the car pass from afar. Together we carried our son up the hill and thanked God for Lukes life.
Psalm 91:11- 12 tell us that God commands angels to watch over us. The King James version words it like this: “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.”
As I have been preparing these podcasts, meditating and thinking about Psalm 91, a deeper truth has really touched my heart. I see this Psalm as a beautiful rendition of Gods love and desire to protect us from harm in a much deeper way. He has such a longing for us to know the depth of His kindness and thoughts for us. He is truly a loving Father.
Now Psalm 91:11-12 is interesting in that it is quoted again in Luke 4:10-11. “It is written, He shall give His angels charge over thee to keep thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.” Oh. And the same person quoting this was also telling Jesus to jump off the pinnacle of the temple. Do you know who that was? Satan.
In my last podcast I mentioned that GOd commands His angels, we do not. Neither do we command God. Satan wanted Jesus to take on a role that was not His. As he was living life in the flesh as a human being, Jesus lived within the constraints of humanity. Except, He did it with perfection.
A little side note to ponder. Look at the phrase “Lest at any time (Was this in the original? I dont think so…Ponder that on your own and let me know what you come up with)
When Jesus was arrested in the garden He rebuked Peter when Peter cut off a servants ear to defend Him. “Thinkest Thou that I cannot pray to my Father and He shall presently give me more than 12 legions of Angels?”
Jesus told Pontius Pilate “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews.”
Yes, Jesus could have lept off the temple in a grand spectacle, and maybe angels would have appeared to softly float Jesus to the ground” Ta-da! We would all have been amazed and enraptured with “oos and Ahs” ! But it would be WRONG! Wrong because He would have been moving out of the sphere of humanity God placed Him in to live as one of us. He was required to live in a human body, as a human, to fulfill all righteousness.
Instead Jesus responds to Satan “”It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord Thy God.”
In these days, some Christian voices say “God will protect me” as I walk about mask-less and cough and breathe on others. They may accuse us of not having faith during the crisis.
They may recount how witnesses say great healing evangelist John G. Lake saw a virus die on his hand during the Bubonic plague. Listen; Beware of the temptation towards recklessness. Wash your hands! Keep your distance! Wear a mask at the grocery store.
It is possible God instructs you to do otherwise. Even John G Lake told people “As long as I keep my soul in contact with the Living God so that His Spirit is flowing into my soul and body, no germ will attach itself to me.” Is this how you are living every moment? That takes a special revelation and gift from God. Otherwise you are only tempting God and that is a Sin.
So we do not leap off tall buildings in a single bound and expect angelic rescue. BUt what we do, is take solace in the knowledge that God has not left alone and as orphans. He tells us He has heavenly helpers He will instruct to take care of us. How many stubbed toes did I NOT get because of an angel bore me up lest I dash my foot against a stone?
My husband and I were on a trip once, happliy talking and following the GPS as its calm voice instructed us how to maneuver through Illinois traffic. We were following the path when it suddenly seemed to have a change of heart. The GPS began instructing us to get off the freeway and follow a different route.
“Maybe it senses construction?” I said, although the thick red lines signalling slow traffic ahead were not showing up, we decided to simply follow its direction. We merged off the main path and ontoan adjacent freeway. Almost immedietley we knew that this was NOT the way to go. In fact, almost as soon as we took the turn off the GPS begin redirecting us to the original route. We sighed in frustration, as it was a series of long drives and loops to return. My husband even shook his head in dissaproval, assumng I had made a mistake and pressed something on the screen.
“I didn’t!” I defended myself. “I wasnt even touching it.”
15 long minutes later we were back at the same place we drove away from. As we pulled back onto the freeway we were met with slow traffic and pulsing red lights. In our absence there had been a 3 car accident, and traffic was nw being diverted around it. My husband and I looked at each other. “Do you think,” I whispered in a shocked tone, “That accident took place 15 minutes ago?”
Charlie, my husband shrugged, even as his mouth said “I believe so.”
It may not always be so obvious, but Psalm 91:11-12 insinuate the angels are continuallu assisting us. Maybe that car in front of you going 10 mphs under the speed limit is actually making sure you get to work safely. Maybe that beach that was closed due to a party kept you from picking up an illness or being injured in some way. I dont know. Neither do you. That is why we hide ourselves in the refuge that is GOD and trust Him with our lives. Whatever may come.
If you would like to do a bit more research, there are a multitude of Angelic deliverences out there! I want to direct you to a couple of my personal favorites.
There is a YOUTUBE video I watched incessantly years ago. A traffic camera appears to capture a man in an Asian country, I believe China, driving into the path of a semi-truck. Suddenly the man is on the road side instead of in front of the truck. The truck driver is seen getting out and looking under his truck, expecting to see a mangled tricycle. Instead he realizes the man is safe and sound across the street. Close-ups reveal the man shakily climbing off his small Bicylce cart and sitting on the curb. And the Angel. Well… you have to watch the video to see it! Search “Angel saved a man from death” by a youtuber named “tgorlova” Tell me ehat you think in a message.
Last year a man named “Bruce VAn Atta” came to our town and shared an amzing testimony of angels standing guard over his crushed body when he was working on a semi-truck. Its quite a story, and this man has all the documentation to prove his healing was a real miracle. Search “Bruce Van Atta,” Van Atta” online for this story.
I have a favorite picture of me. I am atop a giant Mayan Pyramid. My arms are outstretched against a deep blue Mexico sky, the Mexico landscape in the distance as I stood victoriously atop a huge stone structure I could never have climbed just 10 days previous.
It’s not the aesthics that make me love that picture.
That picture is the day I trampled on a lion and serpent.
Hello and welcome to In the secret with your Hostess Joni Scott!
A couple years ago I planned a trip to visit my son who was working in Mexico city. shortly before that trip my body rebelled. My arm and shoulder suddenly quit working, and chose instead to exude pain down my back and legs as well. My hand was numb, and unable to grip even a pen. Pain meds and chiropractors did not do a thing. I could only sit in my arm chair, or lay on the floor, arm propped a certain way, and hold still for hours at a time. I had started memorizing Psalm 91, and all I could do was pray it out loud, all day and some of the night to God.
The Mexico trip was only a week away, and I still hoped to go, except my body was not cooperating.
I thought I had my answer, when, four days before, I was scheduled to fly out when my face suddenly broke out with thick, ugly, red patches, and my lips swelled up. I had wrote an email to my son to tell him I could not go to Mexico. Somehow, I could not bring myself to push the “send,” and instead just fell apart.
My husband came upstairs and found me in a mangled mass of tears. “I can’t go! Look at me! He grimaced at my swollen red face and how I was obviously still in so much pain. He went right downstairs and called in to work just to give me some clearly needed emotional support. In the end, he actually helped me get my medical help that day as well.
Within four days my arm, my face, and my attitude were completely delivered. I went to Mexico and conquered more fears than one. at the end of my visit to Mexico I took a hot balloon ride and climbed a giant Mayan Pyramid. Both things I would not normally do even when I was healthy!
My final big event was going up the steep and seemingly unending steep stairs of the pyramid. As I went, my arm and shoulder felt increasingly better until I cast away my sling and went for it. With Gods Grace I conquered physical ailments, a swollen face, a fear of heights, and a new culture.
It was a dance-worthy moment!
I wroteabout it in a small book called “Set upon a Rock” you can purchase through Amazon.
