By T.C. Lo (盧天賜); July 4, 2012. Edited August 12, 2023
God of the Bible is the God of History
On February 24, 1986, the history of the Filipinos recorded an incident of crying out to God in a desperate situation. A total of 800 revolutionary soldiers became a flagrant target for the Air Force under the despotic President Ferdinand Marco. They stood in fear, Seeing the military planes above their heads, they knew that their dream of a peaceful revolution would soon come to naught, and this small group of soldiers would be killed. But they did not stand alone, they were led to read the Bible and pray for the urgent occasion. Because the time of death was approaching, General Honesto Isleta, the leader of the revolution, led them to read Psalm Chapter 91, selected verses follow:
v2. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
v.3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
v.4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
v.7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
v.15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.
v.16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
Although they heard the Word of God, the whirring of airplanes approaching overhead was louder than it. But in their unexpected circumstances, something wonderfully happened: Though the planes approached, they did not drop bombs on this small group; the pilots, one by one, defected to the revolutionary army, and landed on the ground. This successful bloodless revolution can be found in the history books. This god-fearing general came to the United States and later became a seminary student (Ref. 1)
Ref. 1: “Cries of the Heart” by Ravi Zacharias; pp. 4-5
Reflection: If God can save a nation and her people and map out the history through His Words, how much can His Words become a refuge to an individual?
God of the Bible is a loving personal God
On one particular morning during the Sino-Japanese war, my father (Mr. Lo Chung To) was reading his morning devotion on Psalm chapter 91, he heard the rumbling sound of the Japanese war planes dropping bombs right at the moment when he came to verse 7, “A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.” My father, like everybody else did spontaneously, went outside and crawled on the ground and stayed there motionlessly until the noisy commotion was over. Seeing all devastation of collapsing houses, destruction of structures, and fallen trees, he discovered a wisp of hair not far from where he laid. He instinctively touched his head only to discover a bald spot on his skull. The separation between life and death was merely few millimeters apart. He thanked God profusely for saving his life. From that moment on, thanksgiving had become his life style especially during seasons of hardships which he had many in his life.
Reflection: We all have experienced the wonderful fact that God does answer our prayers. But what about the unanswered prayers? I don’t want to get into the theology of “unanswered prayers” now. But who can say that God does not answer a prayer that we haven’t even prayed? Who can say that God does not meet our need which we don’t even know that we have that particular need?
神是掌管歷史的神
在1986年二月廿四日, 菲律賓人 的歷史記載了一件在走投無路中的呼喊神的事件. 共計800名革命士兵成為在 Ferdinand Marco 專制總统手下的空軍的公然靶子. 他們提心弔膽地站着, 眼見軍機巳在他們的頭頂上 , 知道他們的和平革命的夢想馬上成為泡影, 而這小群的士兵必被炸死. 但他們並非單單站着, 在燃眉之急之際, 他們被帶領頌讀聖經和禱活. 因為死期巳近, 革命首領Honesto Isleta 將軍領他們讀詩篇九十一篇 (只選錄數節作參考, 如下):
(對上帝的頌讚):
詩 91:2 耶和華是我的避難所，是我的山寨，是我的神，是我所倚靠的。
詩 91:3 祂必救你脫離捕鳥人的網羅和毒害的瘟疫。
詩 91:4 衪必用自己的翎毛遮蔽你，你要投靠在衪的翅膀底下。衪的誠實是大小的盾牌。
(上帝對求告者的回應):
詩 91:7 雖有千人仆倒在你旁邊，萬人仆倒在你右邊，這災卻不得臨近你。
詩 91:15 他若求告我，我就應允他；他在急難中，我要與他同在；我要搭救他，使他尊貴。
詩 91:16 我要使他足享長壽，將我的救恩顯明給他。”
雖然他們聽到神的話語, 但是臨近頭頂的飛機的呼呼聲比它更響. 但在他們不預料到的情况下, 有些奇妙事情發生了, 飛機群臨近, 但並沒有徹底摧毀這地上的一小群, 反而飛行員一架一架地變節, 投奔革命軍, 降落在地. 這次成功的不流血革命都在歷史書可以找到的. 這位敬畏神的將軍, 日後來美, 成為一位神學生.
反思：如果上帝能通過他的話語來拯救一個國家和其人民，並描繪出人類的歷史，那麼祂的話語, 在多大程度上, 能成為我们的避難所呢？
神是掌管個人的神
抗戰期間, 先父盧中度先生在南寧小樂園醫院作客, 清晨起床讀聖經, 剛好展開詩篇九十一篇頌讀, 當他念到第七節 “這災卻不得臨近你” 時, 外面隆隆巨響, 聲音由遠而近, 緊急警報大鳴, 發出刺耳的尖嘯聲, 很快便知道日本飛機正在投彈轟炸. 所有人都衝出屋外, 驚惶地俯伏在空曠地上, 直至警報解除為止. 隨後似乎一片寧靜, 父親環目四顧, 房屋傾塌, 樹木折毀, 但知到自己平安無事, 當他準備站起來之刻, 他發現一縷頭髮散在地上離他不遠, 他便用手摩摩頭頂, 發現一片光禿的頭皮, 他才知道炸彈碎片從頭頂飛削而過, 生死只是一公分之差. 大難不死, 他感謝上帝的保守. 上帝也照着第十六節所說, 使他足享長壽, 父親於2001年11月16日安息主懷, 享年87歲, 上帝將衪的救恩顯明在他一生的年日中.
反思：我們都經歷過上帝確實回應我們祈禱的奇妙事實。但那些未得到回應的祈禱又如何呢？我現在不想討論 “未得到回應的祈禱” 的神學。但誰能說神不會回應我們尚未祈求的禱告呢？當我們甚至不知道自己有這些特殊的需要時，誰能說上帝不會滿足我們的需要呢？
