Arrows of the Almighty

The Hound Of Heaven

Those of you reading this who are my age or older, and I admit there are getting to be fewer of us each year, will remember that day in October of 1942 when Eddie Rickenbacker and his crew were reported lost at sea. 

One morning, after several days without radio contact and out of rations, they had their morning devotions thanking the Lord for keeping them thus far; then Rickenbacker leaned back pulled his hat over his head and went to sleep.  He awoke with a bird sitting on his hat.  With a quick hand movement he caught that sea gull and the nine hungry men ate the bird.  They used the intestines for bait to catch fish and lived to tell the tale of help coming when there was no help in sight.

The story includes the conversion of Jim Whittaker who wasn’t a believer but who relates “when I saw Eddie catch that bird, I believed.”  God is like that.  He sends natural but unusual events to answer the needs of His people.  Francis Thompson described the Spirit of God as “The Hound Of Heaven.” 

One evening John Wesley went to a a society meeting on Aldersgate Street in London and while one of the group read Luther’s preface to the book of Romans, he wrote, “About a quarter before nine I felt my heart strangely warmed.”  And England was never the same afterwards.

Augustine in his classic work “Confessions” tells of his life’s turning point.  Torn between the temptations of his mistress and the call of the Spirit of God, he sat on a bench under a fig tree with his Bible beside him.  He heard a neighbor say, “Pick it up … pick it up.”  They were not speaking to Augustine up he did what he heard.  He picked up the Bible and read; “Let us live in a right way, like people who belong to the day.  We should not have wild parties or get drunk.  There should be no sexual sins of any kind, no fighting or jealousy.  But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and forget about satisfying your sinful self.” (Rom. 13:13-14)  He heeded the voice of the Spirit of God, bade farewell to his mistress and followed Christ to become one of the greatest ever defenders of the gospel of Christ. 

A friend relates how he gave his life to Christ when passing a house where he heard some folks singing “Victory In Jesus!” and became a Bible smuggler into the communist block for the rest of his life. 

Just when we least expect it God is there and we are confronted with truth.  The Hound of Heaven continues pursuing until he captures His prey.

“Thank you, Lord, for sending this hound of heaven after me for in Christ I have found life eternal with great joy and peace.  In His name I pray this prayer of thanksgiving.  Amen.”