Grace In The Valley By Heath AdamsonPrimjer

Day 5

Buried Alive

Luke 15:3-6

God is willing to overcome any barrier, to dig through the rubble, to walk the long and dusty road just to bring us home.

On Wednesday, December 7, 1988, a devastating earthquake shook the northern region of Armenia, 6.9 on the Richter scale. On that day, a father who had just taken his son to school sprinted back to make sure his son was okay. He arrived, horrified by the sight. The building was in a heap on the ground. Parents and spectators stood around the periphery, sobbing. Time stands still and troubles are fleeting when what matters most seems to become a vapor.

Onlookers, police, and medical personnel stared. This father, on the other hand, didn’t waste any time. He started to pick up the stones and broken chunks of concrete of the building—some nearly as big as he was—and moved them to the side. Onlookers couldn’t believe their eyes. They couldn’t believe this father was strong enough to remove the rubble, and they couldn’t believe anyone would still be alive underneath.

They urged him to stop. The father kept digging. Hours passed, then a full day passed. He didn’t eat, didn’t sleep. All he did was dig and dig until, finally, out of the depths of the rubble, he heard a small sound. He moved toward the noise and kept digging. Within minutes, he revealed a small opening, deep below the surface, where several kids were hiding—including his son. 

“Arman!” the father cried, reaching down for his son’s hand. “Grab my hand!”

A voice answered him, “Father, it’s me! I told the other kids not to worry. I told them if you were alive, you’d save me, and when you saved me, they’d be saved too. Because you promised, ‘No matter what, I’ll always be there for you.’ ”

Arman knew his dad was searching for him. Arman was not afraid his father would forget him. Like Arman, we too can wait, knowing who we are will come to the surface with help from

Someone above. The Father will not stop until he brings you out.

Imagine you have a dear friend who is buried by the same circumstances you presently face. What encouragement would you offer them about the nature of God?