It is not uncommon for many people to have brushes with death, or to experience narrow escapes. When they do escape with their lives, they are grateful to be alive, often referring to the experience as “miraculous.” They have the sense that their lives were spared by a higher power ... some will attribute it to God, and many others to “luck” or “good fortune.” As we look at some narrow escapes, let us remember who is really in control. The Bible tells us with absolute certainty that it is God. “In whose hand [God’s] is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:1010In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. (Job 12:10)).
Falling Dirt Bike
A Texas man, Rick Hogge, was enjoying his annual dirt biking trip with some friends in Colorado. Even with 20 years of experience, he was nervous about going up a narrow trail with part of it covered in rocks. What made it worse was that there was a steep cliff on one side.
When he came to the rocky spot, his helmet-mounted camera videoed what happened next. His bike lurched to the left and flew off the trail, tumbling down the cliff. Mr. Hogge fell off his bike and tumbled down the cliff, flew through the air before hitting a flat rock that jutted out, flew through the air again, finally landing in the middle of what is called the Devil’s Punch Bowl. He had tumbled at least 60 feet, maybe even 70 feet, before landing in the water. Amazingly, he sustained only a slight scratch and bruise which disappeared the next day. He was able to swim to a ledge and climb out with the help of a friend.
What was Mr. Hogge thinking as he went over the side of the cliff? In his own words, “Next there was a cry out to God and I told myself, ‘This is how you’re going to die,’ and then I hit the water.” As he was going down, thoughts of his children filled his mind, and he later told news outlets that “he was part of a miracle and felt so blessed to be alive” and to watch his children grow up.
Mr. Hogge had almost lost his life, but God was gracious to him. Think of how many people fall off an 8- to 12-foot ladder and break their neck or other bones, sometimes even losing their lives. This is a reason why our all-wise God tells us, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them” (Ecclesiastes 12:11Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; (Ecclesiastes 12:1)).
Hurtling Train
Alexander Evans was just going about his daily work as an Amazon delivery man. It wasn’t just another day — it was his thirty-third birthday. What he didn’t know was that he would narrowly miss, by inches, death from an oncoming Amtrak train that was travelling at 80 miles an hour.
As he approached a railroad crossing in the rural town of Ixonia, Wisconsin, he naturally looked both ways. It was a dangerous crossing (even the locals admit that), with no lights, signals or gate. His view was somewhat obstructed because of the angle of the road he was on, but he thought it was clear and proceeded to cross. The problem was that he was deaf in his left ear and that was the side the train was coming from. Too late, he finally heard one long blast from the locomotive and saw the passenger train barreling towards him. In his own words, he “tried to get as far away as he could.”
He got just far enough away to save his life. The train hit his truck just behind the driver and passenger seats, making a clean slice of it, scrunching up the rest of the truck and carrying it down the tracks. He felt “air and pressure” while the 129 passengers on the train felt a bit of jolting and movement. It took nearly four hours to peel the truck from the locomotive before they could continue their journey. Mr. Evans escaped with bruising and soreness and was “more than thankful” to be alive! Officials say it’s a miracle he survived.
Mr. Evans had no idea he would nearly lose his life on his thirty-third birthday. This is why we need to be prepared to meet God at a moment’s notice. In a split second of time, it could be too late, and you would drop into hell for all eternity if you didn’t know Christ as your Savior. This is why God says, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Crashing Into a Semi
In another midget vs. giant accident, a 47-year-old woman smashed into the back of a semi-trailer and managed to survive. Her 2014 silver Toyota sedan did not. It was totally smashed and crumpled with the roof peeled off, looking just like a piece of paper would if you crumpled it in your hand.
She had been travelling on Highway 31 near Kenosha, Wisconsin, when she smashed into the back of the semi-trailer, which police figured was travelling at no more than 10 miles per hour. The 31-year-old driver of the semi blamed his slow speed on another slow-moving vehicle in front of him.
Pleasant Prairie Police called it their “holiday miracle” because it happened on Wednesday, December 22. The lady was able to walk away with minor injuries. “You can label this a holiday miracle,” the police said. “Every part of that vehicle was wrecked except where she was sitting.”
Marguerite Phillips, who was driving towards the accident, stopped when she saw the destroyed car. “I was trying to keep her calm. She was able to walk away, but she was just in shock. Some angels were working full-time to help her.” This kind lady was able to stay with her, calling 911 and her family, waiting with her until her daughter arrived at the scene.
There is a verse in the Bible that tells us of God’s tender care for us. “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not” (Lamentations 3:2222It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. (Lamentations 3:22)). This is because God made us to know Him and to love and serve Him. We learn to know, love and serve Him through His Word, the Bible. It tells us that God sent His Son Jesus to die on Calvary’s cross and shed His blood for our sins. Because Jesus is, and always was, sinless, perfect and holy, God accepted His sacrifice for our sins on the cross. When we accept and believe this by faith in our hearts, we receive the forgiveness of sins, and we have peace with God. “Being justified [made right] by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:11Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1)).
Lost Hiking
Jeremy Humphrey, 41, woke up to the news from his wife that a woman was lost in the Valley County wilderness near McCall, Idaho. The situation was serious, as she had been missing for nearly a week. Laura Dipietro, with her dog Flora, had gone hiking on July 3. Five days later, she was reported missing when she didn’t show up for work.
Now it was July 10, and Valley County Search and Rescue teams were busy searching through the mountains for Laura and Flora. When Jeremy heard the news, he was certain that he could not only help, but he was “100% positive” that he would find them!
He had good reason to believe this. Jeremy was an ultramarathon runner, which means that he ran longer than the standard 26.2 miles, sometimes running up to 100 miles! At 41, Jeremy often went on “adventure runs” in the mountains, never less than 6 hours at a time, and was in the best shape in his life. He was also very familiar with the area that Laura and Flora were lost in.
Nearly 25 miles and 10 hours later, Jeremy called out Laura’s name and got an answer! Though Laura and Flora were by a lake, they had had nothing to eat for at least four days. After sharing his energy bars and calling for help, Laura and her dog were soon airlifted to safety. When Jeremy found her, he said she was in rough shape, and “it was time, it was getting serious.” Jeremy was so thrilled that his skills of moving through rough terrain quickly could be used to save a woman’s life.
Jeremy’s physical prowess and feat of running through the mountains for 10 hours straight is truly amazing. But what the Lord Jesus did in leaving the palace of His glory to come down to earth to die for our sins is of so much more value — eternal value! Jeremy gave up several hours of his time, but Jesus gave His life for us, so that our souls could be saved for eternity.
Jesus tells the parable of a man that had 100 sheep and lost one of them. Leaving the 99, he went out and searched for the one lost sheep. When he found it, he laid it on his shoulders, rejoicing. Then he came home and called all of his friends and neighbors, saying, “Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.” Then, Jesus makes a comparison. “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth” (Luke 15:3-73And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 4What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. (Luke 15:3‑7)). Have you repented of your sins and trusted God to forgive you for Jesus’ sake?
Near Death at the Hockey Rink
Nadia Popovici was a hockey fan who had grown up in Canada and then moved to Seattle. She was eager to attend the Seattle Kraken’s first home game. She had no idea of the life-saving role she would play in one person’s life!
During the game, she sat behind the Vancouver Canucks’ bench. As time went on, she happened to notice an irregularly-shaped mole on the back of a Vancouver staffer’s neck, Brian “Red” Hamilton. Since he couldn’t hear her through the Plexiglas barrier, she typed a note on her iPhone Notes app, telling him that he had a mole on the back of his neck that was possibly cancerous and that he should see a doctor.
At first, “Red” brushed it off, but then he thought, What harm could it do to have it checked out? So, he went to the team doctor, who removed the mole. It turned out to be malignant melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer! The doctor also told Red that if he had waited four to five years, “he wouldn’t be here.”
You can imagine how thankful Mr. Hamilton and his family were! He and the Canucks wanted to thank Nadia, but they didn’t know who she was, so they tweeted a message to their fans, asking for their help in finding her. A few hours later, Nadia’s mother called her with the news that the Canucks were looking for her because she had helped to save a man’s life!
When the Canucks next played the Kraken in Seattle, not only did Red get to thank Nadia, but both teams gave her $10,000 toward her medical school expenses. Red was so thankful for Nadia’s timely warning, and Nadia was happy that Red had been spared a terrible diagnosis. Nadia later said that she noticed the classic signs of danger: “irregular borders, a little bit of discoloration and a pretty large diameter.”
What if Nadia hadn’t bothered to say anything? She actually debated this in her mind, eventually coming to the conclusion, “I thought, you know, it can’t hurt just to say something.”
The Most Important Escape
This is why the gospel is preached. People around us are heading for a lost eternity, where they will suffer forever and ever. Just as Nadia pointed Red to the doctor, we point people to Christ. He is the only One who can save us from our sins. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:88For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8)). Faith and repentance — repentance of your sins and faith in Jesus Christ — they go hand in hand; you cannot have the “gift of God” without both!
These people’s lives were not spared because of “chance” or “luck”! They were spared because God is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Each day that we have life is a gift from God. God is giving us all the chance to put our faith and trust in His Son Jesus and to come to Him in repentance. God “will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).
Man is without excuse! All these things speak to us — creation, conscience, our God-conscious spirit, “second chances” and, above all, the Word of God, the Bible. “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:33How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:3)).
The answer is that we cannot escape God. We must all stand before Him and bow the knee. We will meet Him as our Judge or as our Savior. What will your decision be? Decide for Christ today, while you are yet able! Tomorrow may be too late!