"First Responders"

 

“First Responders”

 

The term “first responder” first appeared in a Boston Globe article about proposed ambulance regulations in Massachusetts in 1973. It became a familiar designation for police, fire and emergency medical services personnel after the tragic events of September 11, 2001 when 343 New York firefighters and 60 New York police officers died responding to the attacks. Since then these heroes, along with hospital and other health care workers, have been rightly recognized for being on the front lines protecting those of us privileged to call this country our home.

According to Wikipedia, a first responder is “a person with specialized training who is among the first to arrive and provide assistance or incident resolution at the scene of an emergency.” While we hope and pray we’ll never have to utilize such services as police, fire and ambulance personnel the uncertainties of life make us grateful for their availability when unforeseen circumstances arise. Karen and I have had occasion to benefit from all three during times of need in ways we’d never expected.

As I read through the story of Jesus’ temptation recently I saw His personal “first responders”: “Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.” (Matthew 4:11, emphasis added). So in His human weakness after this time of testing Jesus needed strength and His Father’s angels were there to help.

When our trials come what’s our first response? Is it denial? anger? panic? withdrawal? or some other inappropriate or unhealthy reaction? When David found himself in a tough spot he paused and said, “In my distress I called to the Lord, I cried to my God for help…my cry came before him, into his ears.” (Psalm 18:6). About three centuries later when his descendant Hezekiah was threatened with annihilation by the Assyrian king Sennacherib “,,,he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread (the letter) out before the Lord. And…prayed to the Lord, ‘…deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O Lord, are God.’” (2 Kings 19:14-15,19). The result? It was the Assyrian army, not Israel’s, that was exterminated (2 Kings 19:35-36).

Both David and Hezekiah made the right first response: turn to God in prayer. Will I? May I follow the counsel of our Lord’s brother: “Is any one of you in trouble? (He or she) should pray.” (James 5:13). We can be sure that’s a first response that will not be ignored.

 

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan