That’s what you will hear again and again if you saved someone’s life. The grateful person is overcome with gratitude and struggles to put it into words. You might get a hug, or they may be crying. They are in a form of shock from what was happening, especially if they were looking at a painful or gruesome death and you saved them from that and gave back their life!
Their gratitude may be even more pronounced if you saved their child, their husband or wife! What could be more wonderful than that? I saw a story yesterday of a security guard who died trying to protect customers in a grocery store shooting. He was called a hero because he died trying to stop the killing. In a Church shooting, the Pastor was labeled a hero for throwing a chair at a gunman, and another hero tackled the gunman, saving countless lives. They didn’t die or get seriously injured in their heroic acts, but their actions saved people.
This type of story isn’t new. The news media and politicians are quick to jump on every failure of our Policemen, but most are everyday heroes. They run toward danger and put their own lives on the line, and many die each year saving or trying to save others. You might say, “That’s their job!” Their job may require them to face danger, but they aren’t required to die. In fact, we occasionally see where a Police Officer chooses personal safety over risk, and they are harshly criticized by fellow officers. Policemen should be praised and thanked like everyone else. Everyone isn’t a hero and that makes heroes special!
The military is often in the news for their heroic acts. Yes, they are trained and equipped to protect us and can be ordered to go into harm’s way, but it takes more than that to make them risk their life for someone else. Heroic acts are often an action or reaction to protect or save their fellow soldiers. They deserve our gratitude because they acted, and others didn’t!
If we are that grateful for someone saving our temporary life, how much more should we thank someone who saves us from eternal death? The ultimate hero in this category is the GOD who “so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16 KJV). That was His plan, and He completed it! That He is ALMIGHTY GOD doesn’t take away from what He did for us. In fact, it makes His sacrifice more precious. He didn’t need us, but we sure needed Him!
If we are thankful for GOD’s sacrifice, how much more should we thank JESUS who died on the cross to save us from our sins? We weren’t grateful and didn’t deserve to be saved “but while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8 KJV). We were guilty and destined for the eternal fires of Hell, but JESUS saved us! Nothing we can do for JESUS compares with what He has done for us! How can we not thank Him?
How can we even begin to thank Him? JESUS said “Simon…lovest thou me? …Yea, Lord… He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.” (John 21:16 KJV). Maybe we should feed the LORD’s sheep like someone fed us the WORD and brought us to JESUS CHRIST? I say yes!
Wayne Lance – That’s Good News to Share!