A Thought for the Day – 023
If you are a professional boxer, you expect to be
knocked around and if you are a fool, being knocked around is a way of life
that never changes. For the wise man a simple reproof will be effective; boxing
gloves will not be needed. Proverbs 17:10, if you are not a fighter you might
have to think about that one!
Comments and challenges
We
were at a very deep depth, ordered there by our CO because of a confrontation with
a Russian attack submarine several hours before. Having escaped the clutches of
the attack sub and being on one of America’s finest Fleet Ballistic Missile
subs at that time, a part of the escape plan was to stay submerged at our depth
for a full twenty four hours. Soon our time would be up and we would be going
to a depth to send a message to our fleet submarine commander.
The
Chief Radioman was summons to the control room of the ship, he did not respond.
It became apparent that he was nowhere to be found, so we began searching for
the man. About a half hour later he was found in what we had used for the Chief
of the Boat as an office in port, but it was not normally a place where anyone
hung out while at sea. The chief was having a total melt down. He could not
even tell us how long he had been in the room.
Certainly
at the depth we were at and the length of time we were down and on top of the
tension from hiding from the Russian boat, the fears of many was tense but as
far as I know this chief was the only one who completely fell apart. Since I was
the ship’s Protestant lay leader, after locating him he asked for me to come in
and pray for him and the crew.
Now I
must take us back to the moments shortly after the incident happened. “Torpedo
in the water, emergency deep!” the words that every submariner does not what to
hear. Then you know this is not a drill when you hear the four evasion devices being
released from the ship; noise makers to confuse the torpedo. Now there are
several other things in this incident that took place, but there is one thing
that I did. I prayed; LORD, deliver this ship and crew to safety and please do
it now.
As
far as I can recall I had not read this Psalm before this moment in time and if
I did, the Psalm had no specific purpose like it did at this moment. The Psalm clearly
popped into my head, I can still see it this very day; Psalm 124. So when I was
summons to pray for the crew and this chief, God had already provided His answer
and deliverance from harm, to me; I had also provided this information to the
other believers on board. After praying, I read the Psalm to the chief and
those nearby, then the chief got up and went about his duty as the CO commanded.
“If
it had not been the LORD who was on our side” let Israel now say – “if it had
not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us, then they
would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us; Then the
waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul;
then the swollen waters would have gone over our soul. Blessed be the LORD, Who
has not given us as prey to their teeth, our soul has escaped as a bird from
the snare of the fowlers, the snare is broken and we have escaped. Our help is
in the Name of the LORD who created the heavens and the earth. Psalm 124:1-8.
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