Just
in the Nick of Time
By Elin Henderson
“For I will call upon God; and the LORD
shall save me.”
Who
doesn’t love a good movie or book where all hope is fleeting, the end is
drawing near, the enemy appears to be winning, and THEN… just in the nick of
time, the hero arrives on his white steed and saves the day?! The hype and
suspense leading up to the victory is often frustrating and hard to endure. But
once the final blow is dealt, everything makes sense. You breathe a sigh of
relief and leave the movie theater, or put down the book, with a sense of
satisfaction!
I
am amazed as I look through Scripture how many times it seems that all hope was
lost, and defeat seemed imminent, but THEN…just in the nick of time, God
intervenes in a miraculous and incredible way - - bringing victory not defeat -
- relief not disappointment.
In
1 Samuel 23:14-29,
David certainly encounters one such story. Saul had once again chased David
into a trap. He was stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place.
Ironically, he was on a rock and in a hard place (a mountain)! He was
surrounded on all sides with no way of escape. All hope seemed lost as the
enemy advanced. But instead of panicking and giving in to anxiety when Saul was
moving in for the kill, he wisely calls out to the Lord and THEN…just in the
nick of time, a message comes to King Saul informing him that the
Philistines were invading his homeland and he had better skedaddle home before
he lost everything!
Are
you stuck between a rock and a hard place right now? Feeling frustrated and
anxious? Keep looking to the Lord and calling out to Him. It’s often in the
waiting for His deliverance that great changes happen in our own hearts as our
faith is strengthened. So stand strong today. Be still and wait for His
deliverance, for we are assured that…just in the nick of time, He will
move, work and save!
GOING
DEEPER:
1. Can
you think of any other “just in the nick of time” stories in Scripture?
2. How does this impact your life today in the midst of your
situation?
FURTHER READING:
Oakwood’s missionaries, Elin
Henderson (a registered nurse) and her husband Phil serve as church planters
with New Tribes Mission in Mozambique, Africa. Elin is mother to
sixteen-year-old Callie and thirteen-year-old Elias.
