FIRST RESPONDERS

...For he hath said, I will never leave thee,
nor forsake thee.
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is
my helper, and I will not fear what
man shall do unto me.
Hebrews 13:5b-6

We've heard a lot in recent days about First Responders. The recent attack in Las Vegas by a crazed gunman shooting into a crowd of people attending a country music concert brought that term First Responder's again to the forefront. The first time I recall hearing the term was at the time of the attack on 9/11 in New York City. Perhaps it was used prior to that...I just don't recall hearing it.

When we think of First Responders, we think of people like police officers, firemen and EMT's. I'm looking at my five year anniversary of a horrible fall into our church basement at the time. I knew I had fallen down steps in a dark place ramming my head into a cinder block wall. I didn't lose consciousness, but knew I had a bad cut on my head. When Brian found me, he immediately called 911. I was surprised that four EMT's showed up and that doesn't count those who came in an ambulance to take me to the hospital. I will be ever grateful to those special helpers.

But then there are other First Responders. After coming out of the hospital xray department and back to the emergency room, there were more familiar first responders awaiting me. One was a dear lady, faithful to the Bible studies I taught at the time, standing with an assuring smile to greet me. She stood for those hours prior to my dismissal helping the doctor in small ways to make me comfortable and even clean. The doctors were wonderful, but Diane was even more of a blessing in those moments. She was a God-sent first responder in those moments.

It was fascinating watching news reports last week of the Las Vegas shooting to hear of all of the heroic efforts of various first responders during those nightmarish moments. Some responders were policemen, firemen, EMT's and that was expected. However, there were those in the crowd...off duty professional responders, ex-military and just ordinary citizens...who were instrumental in saving lives by acting quickly to do all they could to protect people around them.

All of us at one time or another, may need First Responders and we can be very grateful for them. There are going to be times in our lives when we may be called on to be a First Responder. It may not mean our responding will be anything heroic as others might view things. I'm not a police officer, fireman or even an EMT even though I have some medical training, but all of us may be called on in to intervene with people problems, put out fires of high emotional situations and even help bandage up emotional wounds someone might have sustained.

There are definitely First Responders in Scripture.

*Remember the four men who carried a friend on a stretcher to get to Jesus for healing? That man couldn't get himself to Jesus but those men certainly did.

*Peter ran to a house where a dearly loved lady named Dorcas had just died. With Spirit power, he brought her back to life. She was such a servant to the community with her sewing abilities and those people were grieved. Peter got to her quickly

*Philip received God's call to get to a desert place where a man was reading Scripture and needed counsel in the interpretation of Scripture, a man very much on the brink of becoming a believer. Philip got to him as quickly as he could. The man was sweetly saved and baptized.

*I think of those fishermen who instantly responded to the call of Jesus on their lives. Scripture tells us that Peter, James and John dropped their nets right where they were and followed Jesus. This wasn't an emergency situation as we think of emergencies, but was a life saving response that changed their lives to the greatest degree.

I've been thinking about what a first responder I am, whether good or bad. To be the best responder in any situation means jumping to a situation almost without thinking about ones own good or safety. Most of the time when you and I get a call from someone in need, they need help in that moment. They don't want us to take a week to pray about their problem. If nothing else, they may just need our time, time to listen or time to even take one to an appointment. What is our respond to such needs? Such a call may not fit in with our day's schedule or plans, but that's one of the things about being a First Responder...no notice...such things indicate an instant need.

May prayer for you and me is that we will have a spiritual sense and resulting response to the needs of folks around us. We may be the only First Responders some people will ever need. I pray we will be ready to be “Jesus with skin on” when He needs us to step in physically for Him in helping meeting those instant needs of people around us.

Dear Father, keep us sensitive in this busy world to people around us who have the deepest of needs. Give us a patience when someone calls at the last minute for us to help with a need knowing that such a call is a divine appointment orchestrated by You. We love You and thank You for being our personal First Responder. In Jesus name...Amen