Rescued

I just watched the first of the trapped Chilean miners be brought up to the surface. The whole situation is mind boggling. Being trapped for 69 days far underground, the first 17 days without anyone knowing for sure they were alive, with a two-day ration of food. And now, it looks as though all will be brought alive over a period of hours. What that must feel like? I am severely claustrophobic. To be trapped that way, well, let's just say that shortly after the cave-in, there would have only been 32 miners - they would have gotten rid of me very quickly! But seriously, these men have been trapped, in the dark, unable to save themselves. What a picture of us! Trapped, in the dark, unable to save ourselves. Only the loving mercy of a gracious Savior can set us free. No digging ourselves out, no heavy machinery, just the blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross, only out of love, which we can't even do anything to deserve. I am thankful to God tonight for the rescue of those men, restored and free. And I am deeply thankful and mindful tonight, because of their plight and rescue, for the salvation, the rescue, I have through my Savior.
I love you, O Lord, my strength.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.

He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,

and I am saved from my enemies.

The cords of death entangled me;

the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

The cords of the grave coiled around me;

the snares of death confronted me.

In my distress I called to the Lord;

I cried to my God for help.

From his temple he heard my voice;

my cry came before him, into his ears.

The earth trembled and quaked,

and the foundations of the mountains shook;

they trembled because he was angry.

Smoke rose from his nostrils;

consuming fire came from his mouth,

burning coals blazed out of it.

He parted the heavens and came down;

dark clouds were under his feet.

He mounted the cherubim and flew;

he soared on the wings of the wind.

He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—

the dark rain clouds of the sky.

Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,

with hailstones and bolts of lightning.

The Lord thundered from heaven;

the voice of the Most High resounded.

He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies,

great bolts of lightning and routed them.

The valleys of the sea were exposed

and the foundations of the earth laid bare

at your rebuke, O Lord,

at the blast of breath from your nostrils.

He reached down from on high and took hold of me;

he drew me out of deep waters.

He rescued me from my powerful enemy,

from my foes, who were too strong for me.

They confronted me in the day of my disaster,

but the Lord was my support.

He brought me out into a spacious place;

he rescued me because he delighted in me. Psalm 18:1-19