Thursday, August 23, 2007

Utah Miners

Since August 6th, there have been six miners trapped in a mine in Utah. They may never be able to get to them, and it's such a sad situation. I cannot imagine what their families are going through.

It's caused me to appreciate my husband more than ever. He is an electrician, and I take for granted that he will come home safely at the end of the day. He works commercial rather than residential, and the reality is that his line of work is dangerous. I appreciate all of his hard work, and he is a hard worker. He rarely gets sick, but when he does, he goes to work, and works hard. The reality though is that no matter what a person's job is, or their age, death is no respecter of persons.

I've been following the Utah miner situation since the beginning, and it has caused me to do a lot of thinking. It just reinforces to me that none of us are guaranteed another day of life, or that we will take another breath. We assume our loved ones are always going to be there, that they will come home at the end of the day, but that doesn't always happen. I'm sure those miners believed they would work their scheduled hours and go home to their families. They didn't know they wouldn't come out alive. It's sobering to think about.

As a Christian, I trust God that whatever comes my way each day, He will see me through it. I have that hope because I am saved by grace alone, through faith alone, and through Christ alone, all to the glory of God. I was a lost sinner, dead in my trespasses sins with no hope in this world.

Ephesians 2:1-10

Ephesians 2:1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

Ephesians 2:2
in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—

Ephesians 2:3
among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Ephesians 2:4
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

Ephesians 2:6
and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Ephesians 2:7
so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Ephesians 2:9
not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, and the wages for sin is death.

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

As a Christian, I believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

1 Corinthians 15:1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,


1 Corinthians 15:2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.


1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,


1 Corinthians 15:4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,


1 Corinthians 15:5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.


1 Corinthians 15:6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.


1 Corinthians 15:7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.


1 Corinthians 15:8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.


1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.


1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.


1 Corinthians 15:11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.


To those who are lost, I pray that God will open your eyes to the truth and grant you the faith to believe and trust in Jesus Christ for eternal life. The only hope for sinners is Jesus Christ, and trusting in Him for eternal life, trusting in His death, burial, and resurrection. Trusting that He alone can save you from your sins through His shed blood, which was shed for sinners.

Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,

Colossians 1:14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Romans 10:9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

To my brothers and sisters in Christ, let us never take our loved ones for granted. Let's not forget to tell them how much we love and appreciate them.

My prayers are with the families of the miners.