I want to talk to you today about having a plan of escape. If you knew that a volcano was going to blow up, or a tsunami was going to hit your island, you would be wise to have a plan of escape.
If you knew that your city or country was going to be attacked by another country, it would be good if you had a plan of escape. And if you are a Somali Christian and no one knows that you are a Somali Christian, it would be good if you had a plan of escape.
But maybe you are in a place where you cannot escape. Remember that with God all things are possible. Even though you think you cannot escape that may not be true, because with God all things are possible, there is nothing impossible with God.
King David in the Old Testament was captured and cornered many, many times, but each time God have him a plan of escape.
Once, “Saul and David were now on opposite sides of a mountain. Just as Saul and his men began to close in on David and his men, an urgent message reached Saul that the Philistines were raiding Israel again. So Saul quit chasing David and returned to fight the Philistines. Ever since that time, the place where David was camped has been called the Rock of Escape. David then went to live in the strongholds of En-gedi.”
God can provide you with a way to escape. Even when things look like they are falling apart and it looks like there is no hope, God provides a way of escape.
Once Jesus’ disciples were on a boat crossing a large body of water and a big storm started. The waves were very high and the wind was strong. It was night. It was dark and cold and raining. The disciples may have thought that they were going to die, that it was all over, that there was no hope for any of them anymore.
Then, they looked out over the water. It was the middle of the night. And they couldn’t believe what they saw. There was someone standing on the water.
When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
Right when you think it is all over Jesus will appear to help you. Jesus said I will never leave you, I will never forsake you. Jesus is always there with you even when things appear to be falling apart. He is always there. Just because things are falling apart, and bad things are happening all around you, that doesn’t mean that Jesus isn’t there. Just believe.
So if you are a Somali Christian it would be a good idea for you to have a plan of escape. Maybe you are living in the West and you are 19 years old or so, and you haven’t told your parents or family that you are a Christian. You need a plan of escape.
How about signing up to go to college or university in a different city? That way you can move out and start studying so that you will have a career when you graduate. And when you move out you will be able to join a church or a fellowship and have the Christian life you desire.
There is a price to be paid though. Your family might not want to see you anymore. You may not be invited home for any family parties. But you will have Christ and the life that He gives you. You will have a new family, and everyone in that family will love Jesus Christ, and enjoy reading the Bible. It’s better to live with God than to die without Him.
Or maybe you are a young single person, or an older single person. And you are a Somali Christian. You may need a plan of escape. First off, it’s important to be financially secure and independent so that you can take care of yourself. Once that is done and you are on your own, you can start attending church and meeting with other Christians every week so that you can grow in your faith.
Once in the New Testament, Saul became a Christian. He was very well known as a leader amongst the his people, and now that Saul was a Christian he could not stop telling anyone and everyone about Jesus Christ.
Saul’s preaching became more and more powerful, and the Jews in Damascus couldn’t refute his proofs that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. After a while some of the Jews plotted together to kill him. They were watching for him day and night at the city gate so they could murder him, but Saul was told about their plot. So during the night, some of the other believers lowered him in a large basket through an opening in the city wall.
Saul had a plan of escape. David had a plan of escape. Sometimes God intervenes and does a miraculous event and sometimes we have to plan what it is we are going to do to avoid problems and unnecessary difficulties.
Plan your way of escape wisely and with God’s help and blessing.