Devotional from Brad O’Kelley

 

“But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.”

2 Thessalonians 3:3

 

Sometimes it amazes me how the Lord protects me and gives me strength. Even now as I am writing this the Lord is strengthening me and protecting me! The reason I say that is because I am writing you from a side-of-the-road motel in Birmingham Alabama. Why am I in Birmingham? I am glad you asked! I just finished preaching a week long revival in Sylacauga Alabama. I arrived in Sylacauga on Saturday night and preached Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The services were amazing and God was moving in that church! People were saved, joined the church, prayed together, and renewed their dedication to the Lord. As an evangelist, it was everything you love seeing in a church revival. I hated leaving that church but after being away from my beautiful wife, I had to get home and see her. I pulled out of the church a little after 10:00 pm and I planned to be home before 1:00 am. As I was traveling down the road I noticed that it was getting harder and harder to see the road, and to see my dashboard. I was in the middle of nowhere realizing that my truck was slowly shutting down. My first thought was “it’s the battery! I need a new battery!” But where would I get a battery in the middle of nowhere? I began to pray that God would help me in my moment of crisis. In the middle of my prayer, I came over the top of a hill and saw a Wal-Mart welcoming me with open arms. I bought a new battery, installed it in the parking lot, praised the Lord, and I was on my way with a truck that was as good as new… for 45 minutes! As I entered into downtown Birmingham my truck started to die again! This time I knew it was bad; “it’s the alternator, I knew it! It’s the alternator!” I told myself. My truck completely shut down and I coasted into the La Quinta Inn and Suites in Birmingham. All I could do was get a room and try to find a repair shop in the morning. As I checked into the motel, I asked the clerk at the desk if she knew of any repair shops I could go to in the morning. Her reply further confirmed the Lord’s protection over me. She said “you broke down in the right place! We share a parking lot with 2 auto repair shops. Didn’t you see them when you pulled in?” I didn’t even see them! They were right in front of me and I missed them. The Lord had protected me and placed me in a spot where all my needs could be met! Praise the Lord!

 

When Paul was writing to the Thessalonians he was constantly being pursued by people trying to stop the spread of the Gospel. Not to mention the attacks that Satan himself throws at Christians trying to get them to stumble. Christians are constantly being tried to see if we will fail. The good news is that God is always faithful to those who love and serve him. Not only is He faithful to us, he gives us strength to make it through these situations. However, the best part is that the Lord also protects us from all of the things meant to hurt us. So what does this mean? It means that even when things look like they are falling apart, when you feel like giving up, or when something happens that looks like a trial you are protected as a child of God! He will be faithful to you, give you strength, and protect you from all the things that seek to harm you. It may not be easy, but He will always be there.

Tags: Brad O'Kelley, Connections, Devotional, Roswell Street Baptist Church