Three chariots of praise

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Frank Lee

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Feb 23, 2017
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Ouachita Mountains
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It was about forty miles from home to my place of work in those days. Living in the country is great but there's a drive if you have a city job. Mine was as an industrial designer in Little Rock.

I was driving in one morning when my car blew a fan belt causing it to quickly overheat. Nothing to do but pull over. I was still many miles from work and without a cell phone had no access to help. It had been a long time since I tried to hitch hike but it was my only option. After all I was nice and clean cut, standing by what was obviously my vehicle. Why drivers would be lining up to give this fine fellow a much needed lift! Wrong. After many minutes and hundreds of commuters zipping by not one had even slowed down. To me it looked like they sped up when they saw my arm with an extended thumb on it.

Resigning myself I headed north and began walking. I said aloud "OK Lord, I'm going to walk to work and praise you the whole way".

As I began my forced march I began to sing a praise song. It wasn't hard. I hadn't walked thirty feet when I heard behind me the sound of tires hitting the shoulder of the highway. Turning I saw that it was a pickup and so walked over and opened the door. The driver asked if I needed a ride so I hopped in and said "praise the Lord"! To which he replied "are you a Christian"? After I answered yes he said "I never pick up anyone on the road but when I saw you I just found myself pulling over"!

We talked a bit about Jesus as we rode then he had to let me out at the exit I needed to take. I felt an excitement about this mini-adventure and knew that Jesus was showing me something simple but oh so important. The lesson can be found in the fiftieth Psalm.


Psa 50:14 — Psa 50:15 (NKJV)
Offer to God thanksgiving,
And pay your vows to the Most High.
Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

God was going to deliver me through the power of praise! I was going to praise myself to work! As I began to walk, praise and sing to God once more, I hadn't taken ten steps when again the sound of tires behind me told me my ride had arrived! Getting in and thanking the young man for stopping, we then conversed back and forth while we continued our northward journey. I turned the talk to Jesus and found that this fellow was a backslidden believer. He seemed genuinely touched by my ministry to him and expressed a desire to start coming to church again. The meeting was no accident and our heavenly appointment maker knew our schedules. He let me out at my next exit several miles from where we started and so I was afoot once more.

Beginning to sing praises one more time as I walked up the exit ramp, the now familiar tires on asphalt sound turned me around. The sight of my next divinely ordered ride was really emphasizing the Lord's lesson for me. Certainly there was no coincidence in the arrival of those much appreciated heavenly chariots.

This last ride placed me across the street from my office and as with the other two lifts I shared Jesus with the driver.

The Lord had given me three rides and taken me many miles to my destination. I had walked a total of perhaps forty feet and had gotten to share Jesus with three men. A pretty good outcome for a stranded traveller. Praising the Lord out of a fix. Not a bad way to travel! Truly these were three chariots of praise.

The principal of praising God for our deliverance is wonderful! The Bible is filled with such accounts like Paul and Silas praising their way out of prison. King Jehosaphat also used this to deliver the entire nation.


2 Chronicles 20:21-22 KJVS
And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord , and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord ; for his mercy endureth for ever.
[22] And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.


Psalms 50:23 (NKJV)
Whoever offers praise glorifies Me;
And to him who orders his conduct aright
I will show the salvation of God.”


Psa 107:30 — Psa 107:31 (NKJV)
Then they are glad because they are quiet;
So He guides them to their desired haven.
Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!

This must be our way of life, not some kind of formula for deliverance. God is worthy of our highest praise and worship even if He never came to help us.

Watchman Nee was last heard by a fellow prisoner in a Chinese communist prison as Nee sang Psalms and worshipped God in his cell. That he died praising God is not a bad epitaph. May mine read half as good.