Boast In The Lord January 17th, 2022

I WILL BOAST IN THE LORD… He is in all the stories of my life.
The Bible Scholar John McArthur states: “The Holy Spirit gave us four gospels …so that the truth concerning our Lord and Savior might be established on the basis of two or three witnesses (Deut. 19:15)”. Each Gospel writer gives different details and emphasizes different themes from His life; this reveals a profound picture of Jesus the Son of God and the Son of Man. His GREATNESS AND GRACE is displayed.
Case in point, the account of Jesus walking on water is recorded 3 times -  

1. Matthew 14:22-33
2. Mark 6:45-52 (record’s Peter’s eyewitness account)
3. John 6:16-21

When studying these three scripture accounts, I considered other examples of various eyewitnesses’ testimonies of an event that added clarify and magnified God’s greatness and grace.
In church during the 2018 Fall Family Festival, Pastor James recognized the Bedminster Police and the Volunteer Rescue Squad. He spontaneously requested a volunteer named, Patty, to make a few comments. She reluctantly came to the microphone and decided to tell about the most difficult -memorable call she took that year …. from a family in our very church.
Patty retold the story: “In March, a bad Nor’easter storm slammed the Tri-State. Around 8pm at night, a call came to transport an 89-year-old woman to Morristown Memorial Hospital.  Standard procedure required confirmation of a clear route.
Driving carefully, I made it from Somerville to their house and then proceeded cautiously onto 287 North. Traffic stopped 1/4 mile from the hospital exit, a sea of parked trucks blocked our way with absolutely no movement.  I called to the people in back of the ambulance ‘are you praying???’” .
Then, Patty explained to the congregation the options they considered:

1. Call the coast guard – to carry this elderly lady on the stretcher in snow and ice to and up the exit ramp the nearest clear road
2. Request a Medivac helicopter – but there was no room to land,
3. Ask for an ambulance (when available) to go on the Southbound side of 287 which was passable- and carry the lady across the snowy, icy tree lined medium.
4. Seeking a workable option, I walked around the trucks to see if the drivers could move to make a path. They could not – but a few diabetics asked for help and I provided them with water and granola bars.

Ultimately the rescuer was a simple snowplow clearing a section of the ramp.  Police directed the trucks off 287N and gave the ambulance a path to the exit ramp! We arrived at the hospital at midnight! We thanked God – it was a 12 mile trip that took 3 hours!
Psalm 50:15 “call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.”  Patty’s testimony honored the Greatness of God and his Grace for this woman in the presence of 200 people at church that day.  
Here’s the “Rest of the Story” . . . . That was my mother and I in the ambulance.
I recall that evening -many arrow prayers, “Jesus –Help!” Something is terribly wrong with mom and we are snowed in.
Psalm 86:3 “Be gracious to me, O Lord, For to You I cry all day long.”

1.  I was home alone with Mom.
2. I feared she may have had a stroke.
3. Mom was confused and agitated.
4. How could I help her?
5. I prayed that the LORD would provide an ambulance- I called 911.

When Patty asked “are you praying?”, I answered “Yes, I am asking God to part the sea of trucks …. just like He parted the Red Sea for Moses. (God had revealed His greatness and grace many times in Scripture).
God exercised his authority over all on behalf of us. My prayers were answered in God’s time and according to His will.

1. A policeman came to the house to wait with us - I wasn’t alone. 
2. Mom got to the hospital, was diagnosed with pneumonia that caused her confusion and agitation. Praise be to GOD, Mom did not have brain damage. Praise God for His grace- she didn’t remember the painful events of that night. 
3. Next afternoon, my sister, Phyllis, got to the hospital and stayed with her for 3 nights which helped mom to be calm and comfortable.
4. Zack arrived from Texas to welcome Mom back home.  

It is all for his glory - He brought mom back so we could continue to practice trusting in the greatness and grace of Jesus Christ with greater confidence as Patty given a credible witness to the same event – just like the Gospel writers and gave thanks to God.
Please let me end with highlighting HIS GREATNESS AND GRACE AS UNIQUELY RECORDED IN THE 3 GOSPELS ACCOUNTS:

1. Only Matthew recorded the details of Peter attempting to walk on water to Jesus. His closing comment refocuses the reader on Jesus -“ Those in the boat worshiped him (Jesus) saying, “Truly you are the Son of God”.
2. Then, Mark, who wrote from Peter’s perspective, does not include this scene. Mark adds (v49) that Jesus ”walking on the sea  He meant to pass by them,” From a commentary, “This may sound like Jesus didn't want to help them but it probably is a reference to suggest a theophany. In Exodus 33:22, God passes by Moses, revealing his glory. At this sighting of the divine glory the disciples were sore amazed and beyond measure and wondered (v51)- Greek translation meaning- Never had the disciples been so impressed by the majesty of Christ!”
3. Finally, in John’s eyewitness account– “But he saith to them, it is I, be not afraid.” Literally, Jesus identifies himself as “I AM”.

Romans 15:4
“For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope”
Like the disciples, God was training me to trust Jesus that He would continue to use our family and others to care for Mom during the late-night hours of her life.
I boast in the LORD – He lovingly and gently took her from “the land of the dying to the land of the living”1 on January 16th, 2021.  
PS: Thanks be to God for Patty’s servant-heart to help those in physical need.  On January 16th, she responded to our 911 call and came twice to our house to assist our mom one last time along with our dear sister in Christ, Danielle Yang.