When God Calls The Heart: Devotions From Hope ValleySample

A Whale of a Problem

“As a teacher, I’m drawn to the truth. Numbers don’t lie and facts are indeed facts, but sometimes we need to trust each other, because the truth isn’t always as it appears to be. Sometimes love comes just in time to save your life.” –Elizabeth Thatcher

Nobody in town suspected arson when flames destroyed their church. But suspicions arose when Mountie Jack Thornton discovered a blackened container of whale oil in the debris. He made it his mission to track down the guilty party. 

Whale oil had to be special-ordered, so Jack was surprised to discover containers in Catherine Montgomery’s shed. She said she used it for candle-making and vowed she didn’t set the fire. 

But other signs were pointing to Cat, especially since she was not home the night of the fire. Jack questioned her children. Her oldest, Gabe, said he didn’t know where she was that eve­ning. The youngest, Emily, spilled the news that Cat didn’t arrive home until the next morning. 

Later, when a necklace was found that also traced back to Cat, it seemed as if the evidence was overwhelmingly against her. Jack took Cat to his office to question her, and decided he had to lock her in a cell while he went to check out her story. 

Have you ever been falsely accused of something you didn’t do? The crazy thing is that these kinds of accusations don’t have to be tied to big, dramatic events. Most of the time, these situations are between a husband and wife, or a parent and a child, or a boss and an employee ... and over almost nothing. Yet they can ruin relationships and cause a lot of unnecessary anxiety. 

Who do you turn to when you’ve been charged with some­thing you didn’t do? King David, beset upon by both enemies and people who didn’t trust him, cried out to Jehovah to res­cue him. Do you cry out to your Maker when life treats you unfairly? 

In Coal Valley, the truth about the burned church was finally revealed, and as it turned out, Cat was being framed by a jealous Pinkerton guard because she spurned his romantic advances. She had friends who stuck up for her because there is always more to the story when a light is shined on misunder­standings, or even on the secrets and lies people sometimes tell. 

In your situation, God will always be your protector if you bring your needs to Him. And then do another smart thing: don’t be afraid to trust a friend to have your back. Sometimes that’s how God answers our prayers. He sends someone into our lives to be His hands and feet of protection over us.