Spared
We heard a wonderful story from John yesterday. On Monday he did “One Soldier’s Story” for a group in St. Louis. This is John’s performance in which he dresses in Ray’s dad’s World War II uniform and tells his grandfather’s story in the first-person. I have probably told you about it in other posts.
John illustrates “One Soldier’s Story” with actual photographs his grandfather, Wesley Notgrass, took during his military service, both in the United States and in Europe.
After Monday’s performance, a man of 92 came over to John to share his own World War II story. I will call this man Robert. Robert was stationed at Pearl Harbor in December of 1941. On Saturday, December 6, he began making preparation to attend a church service the following morning on the USS Arizona; but before the time came to go to the service, Robert’s ship was ordered to go on a training exercise in the Pacific. Because of this exercise, his ship was away from port and was unharmed when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Sunday, December 7, sinking the Arizona and killing 1,177 crew members.
Robert served as an orderly for the Admiral of the ship on which he served. Therefore it was Robert who delivered the message to the Admiral about what happened that morning at Pearl Harbor.
Let us be grateful today that God spared Robert on December 7, 1941. Let us be grateful most especially that God, through the death of His Son, spared us from the eternal death we deserve because of our sins.
Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another,
and the Lord gave attention and heard it,
and a book of remembrance was written before Him
for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name.
“They will be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts,
“on the day that I prepare My own possession,
and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.”
So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked,
between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.
Malachi 3:16-17