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Sometimes victory has nothing to do with war and politics—and everything to do with the miracle of saving human life.
On Jan. 15, 2009, severely disabled US Airways Flight 1549 with two dead engines landed on the frigid waters of the Hudson River near New York City.
The exemplary skills of the pilot Chelsey B. Sullenberger III enabled the cabin of the plane to remain intact so that all of the passengers and crew could exit safely into lifeboats and onto the wings of the plane. Within minutes ferry boats and emergency crews moved in to take the passengers to safety and warmth.
I watched the last few minutes of the rescue on television. Reports were still coming in to determine if all aboard had survived. News people were astounded at the calmness of the survivors and rescuers and that such an incident with so much potential for tragedy turned into a miracle.
I don’t like to use the word miracle lightly. It frequently suffers overuse, but this event had elements of a miraculous occurrence. Typically such a crash would produce massive fuselage damage from a headlong dive into the river or—worse—a headlong dive into a crowded part of New York City.
Pilot and crew skill was exceptional, but so many things that could have gone wrong went right.
Good news
The survival of Flight 1549 was good news for those on board and for everyone else. A little good news, genuine good news, can be refreshing. As the Bible says:
“A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones” (Proverbs 17:22).
Or, a slight variation on the theme:
“As cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a far country” (Proverbs 25:25).
The contrast between good news and bad is so dramatic because there is so much bad news in this world. News media coverage tends to focus on tragedy and scandal. That’s how they market their brand. Media companies have a bias and desire to improve their financial status just like any other trade. And they aren’t particularly impartial.
Stay positive
Finding good news feeds a positive attitude. The rescue on the Hudson is a particularly striking example.
- Try to find a good news report to read each day. Remember, real good news is in harmony with God’s law.
- Share good news when you find it to encourage others.
- Read an uplifting scripture from the Bible (like the proverbs above) every day and focus on that during free moments.
The best news
The best news in history comes from the same reliable source that reminds us to seek good news and develop a merry heart.
The Bible—the words of God inspired to be written down by those whom He chose—carries a message so good that it will ultimately brush aside the storm clouds of a coming dark age. This plan for a fair and bountiful future society with a trustworthy government piloted by the one and only Messiah Jesus Christ is by far the best news, ever!
For more information about the good news of God’s plan, read the article “Good News About Bible Prophecy.”
Like the rescue of Flight 1549, good news can be a life saver! VT
- About the Author -
Amanda Stiver lives near Columbus, Ohio, where, in addition to her Vertical Thought duties, she works as a freelance writer.
You have a runny nose and a headache. Your throat hurts. You cough, shiver and generally feel just awful!
Sound familiar? These are symptoms of the all-too-common, common cold.
During the past couple months nearly everybody I know caught a cold. Have you had one yet? If you have, then you know the miserable feeling. My wife had a cold that seemed like it would never end—but finally, miraculously, it did.
We take for granted that eventually we’ll get over even the worst colds. However, the way we recover from infection is nothing short of an actual miracle!
What we call the common cold is actually an invasion of the human body by microscopic viruses. The viruses reproduce rapidly and cause tremendous damage.
Yet before you are even aware that you have an infection, mechanisms of your immune system have begun complex counteractions that will eventually destroy the harmful invaders. The results are usually uncomfortable and not pretty. The fever and excessive mucus associated with a cold are actually methods your body uses to fight disease.
You’re probably familiar with this process. But many may not realize just how complex and incredibly amazing the system built into our bodies to fight infection really is.
I recently read Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution by Michael Behe. It includes a chapter that describes how the immune system functions at the molecular level.
There is no way to explain those intricacies in this brief commentary, but I can say that it strongly supports Dr. Behe’s conclusion: The human body could not possibly have evolved by chance. No doubt, a supremely intelligent creator designed it in extremely exacting detail. He even built in systems for self-repair.
We cannot control those systems. We are barely beginning to understand how they work. Yet they have always been there and have saved my life and yours countless times.
Thousands of years ago, King David of the Bible similarly thought about how amazing the human body is, and he reached a similar conclusion. In one of his inspired poems he wrote, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well” (Psalm 139:14).
David knew what science shows us: The human body is an astounding creation. Even getting over a cold is a divine miracle!
It would be naïve for me to stop there though. We know that there are some diseases our bodies do not routinely fight off. People die of sickness and injury every day, and that does not seem miraculous at all. But this doesn’t mean that the Creator made a mistake.
Often, we make the mistakes. A study of God’s message to us, the Bible, shows that He included considerable instruction about how to maintain good health. The Bible tells us types of foods to eat—or not eat—and how to avoid spreading contagious diseases.
The Bible also describes a method for asking God to work a unique miracle of healing specifically for you—or me. This requires calling an ordained minister of Jesus Christ for anointing and prayer (James 5:14).
To learn more about the Bible’s instructions for maintaining your health, check out Keys to Long, Healthy Life.
In the meantime remember, when you finally get over that cold, it’s a miracle!VT
- About the Author -
Frank Dunkle and his wife, Sue, live and work in Columbus, Ohio, where they attend the United Church of God.
