Article February 5, 2007 Issue

TRULY PRACTICAL SAFETY

BY JAMES SHEPHERD

This winter, blizzards have stranded travelers in airports, trapped motorists, and triggered at least one avalanche that buried cars on a Colorado roadway. The season has also proved fatal for several mountain climbers.

Technological advancements such as cellphones and global positioning satellites contribute to safe travel, adding to the successes of dedicated road crews and search and rescue teams. And reports of stranded motorists in my home state of Oregon prompted local TV and radio stations to broadcast safety tips. But not even all these tips, technologies, and heartfelt efforts guarantee our safety.

Several millennia ago, David sang this prayer: "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God" (Ps. 20:7). He was living in a far distant place and time, and his safety issues were different. But his prayerful means of dealing with the many crises he faced have not lost their practicality. As a shepherd boy, he fought off dangerous animals. When King Saul sought to kill him, he survived in the wilderness. Later, after he himself became king, David had to flee from his traitorous son, Absalom.