Presented by: The Master's Table Web Site

Was God Involved?
By: Timothy M. Youngblood
Wed. January 4, 2006

Most of us have heard about the twelve miners trapped about 13,000 feet inside the mine since 6:30 a.m. on Monday Jan. 2, 2006. I had expressed to my wife that I believed the miners were dead because of not only the blast that was heard five miles away and reported to have caused the ground to shake, but the gas was reported to be at levels to high for anyone to survive. As my wife and I listened to the news late last night stating that they had found the twelve miners alive I was very happy that I had been wrong. The joy we saw from the family and friends sent tears down our faces and we thanked God for their joy.

I went to bed and thought about the statements made by many reporters and family members that God had given them a miracle saving their loved ones. As I reflected on this I realized the other side of the statement when I put myself in the place of the family of Terry Helms, the one they had found dead. Does this mean that God favored the twelve other miners over the one that died? What did he, or his family do that was so terrible that God would not save him?

As I fell asleep I concluded that God had not been involved in this at all. It was a mining accident and things turned out well for the other twelve miners as well as their friends and family. I was reminded of the scripture from Eccl 9:11-12 where King Solomon stated; "I returned and saw under the sun that-- the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all. For man also does not know his time: like fish taken in a cruel net, like birds caught in a snare, so the sons of men are snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them." (NKJ throughout)

My wife woke me this morning and informed me that it was not twelve that survived and one died, but one survived and twelve died. I went to the living room and listened to the reports about how the media jumped the gun by reporting the story without confirmation. I heard the brother-in-law of the sole survivor Randal McCloy, state that it was a miracle and that God had saved him. As I thought about this I realized even more so that what I had concluded the night before going to sleep was even clearer now. What had the twelve miners done that was so terrible that God would not save them and why was the one that was saved in such favor with God?

To many times we jump to the conclusion that God is involved in something when in fact He is not. When it is more of what King Solomon stated in Eccl 9:11-12. The truth is we want God to be involved so bad that we insert Him into the story. We willingly blind ourselves to the truth so we can find some hope and faith in a tragedy, and we ignore anything that will not substantiate our conclusion.

The truth brethren is that we need to be truthful about this not only in prayer asking God for help, but in assuming that what others say is a miracle is in fact a miracle. Some may say that this attitude I have will undermine the faith of believers and as someone stated to me, "Who are you to take away peoples hope?" I do not want to take their hope or undermine their faith, but to give real hope and faith. Real hope and faith comes from real miracles! This story of the miners shouts this fact! What can they say now that twelve are dead and one lived after the ringing of the bells and shouts that God saved twelve and allowed one to die? Was God involved? You decide.

The below scripture depicts the true POWER OF GOD!
Ezek 37:3-14. "And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" So I answered, "O Lord GOD, You know." Again He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 'Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: "Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. "I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD."'" So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.

Then He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live." So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.
They indeed say, 'Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!' "Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. "Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. "I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land.

"Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it," says the LORD."