In Case of Emergency, Pull!

 

W

hile I was studying for the ministry at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, I lived in the men’s resident hall where I served as one of three resident assistants, or RA’s.  One of my duties was to walk through the dorm and take notice of any repairs that needed to be done or to address any concerns the residents had.  One evening, as I left the dorm’s kitchen, I saw something that made me stop and think.   

 

On the wall, right next to the exit was a little red box.  There were several of these throughout the dorm, stationed at set intervals and they all had one purpose, safety!  These little “pull stations” immediately alerted the local fire department and the seminary’s security force of any problem in the dorm.  In the event of a fire, all we needed do was pull the handle and in a matter of minutes the fire department and seminary security would be on the scene. In addition, the dorm’s alarm system would sound, warning everyone to evacuate the building for their own safety.  This was never a pleasant sound, especially at three in the morning, but not having any type of warning system was definitely not a good idea.

 

Did you realize there are “pull stations” in the Christian life as well?  That’s right!  God’s word is full of these little boxes that we can use in all types of emergency situations.  In fact, God promises to save us in our time of need, and he invites us to call on him whenever we are in trouble. The writer of Psalm 50 shares this idea with us and encourages us to call on God any time we are overwhelmed or are in serious trouble.  Psalm 50:14-15 says, “Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” 

 

What a wonderful verse this is.  Notice God’s promise at the end of this passage. God says plainly and clearly, Call upon me and I will deliver you!  That’s our pull station.  We must call upon God; we must rely on him for our deliverance.  Life’s trials and circumstances are always overwhelming, and we are powerless to face them on our own.  Like the men in the dorm, we need outside assistance in the event of a real emergency.  Our responsibility is to pull the handle on the little red box.  The authorities arrive and do what we cannot but unless we call out for help, everything will burn down around us. 

 

This is one of the most difficult lessons to learn as a Christian.  God never intends for us to be in trouble.  It is not his will or his plan that we live in perilous situations.  However, we tend to call on God only after we have tried to remedy the situation and made it much worse.  If we would just learn to call on God when trouble comes, we would see his deliverance and experience his power much more in our lives. 

 

Whatever your circumstances today, God has provided a way of help and escape for you.  Your little red box is probably sitting on a coffee table, on a desk, or it might be in a drawer.  Perhaps you have one in your desk at work or in your car.  God’s word is that little red box and he invites us to pull the handle any time we need him, and he promises to help us.  So, what are you waiting for?  The directions are very, very clear.  In case of emergency, pull that handle!