This is the second time, Jesus has saved me from a traffic ticket.

The first time was about 2 years ago when I was stopped for speeding.  I was driving about 48 mph in a 30 mph zone heading to a new church building where I was not familiar with the roads.  Trying to find my way, I was not paying much attention to the speed limit and sure enough, the red and blue emergency lights all of a sudden appeared in my mirrors lighting up my car and I had to pull over.

“Lord Jesus, You are my Deliverer.  Let Your will be done.”  I prayed as I rolled down my window.  

“License, insurance and registration.”, he barked.  As I handed him my paperwork I said, “I apologize, officer.  Our church just moved here, right up the road, and I am not very familiar with the speed limit on this road.  I am heading there for practice with our worship team tonight.  I apologize.”

“Why should you apologize.  It’s the law!” he snarled back.

I explained, “Well, I apologize for not abiding by the speed limit.  Can you please forgive me?”

He looked at me like I had two heads.  I guarantee that he had never had such a request before.  The word tells us to agree with our brother before they drag us into court.  That is what I did.  I did not fight with him.  I honored him by agreeing with him.

Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.  Matthew 5:25

In court one can be held in contempt of court for arguing with the judge and not honoring the court.  Most people don’t realize that the remedy for contempt of court is simply to apologize to the court.  You see it in movies where the attorney starts raising his voice, aggressively pursuing his argument and the judge suddenly bangs down his gavel and shouts, “One more such outburst and I will hold you in contempt of court!”  Immediately the attorney backs down and starts apologizing to the court.  He knows he has crossed the line and he immediately applies the remedy by apologizing to the judge and to the court.

The main lesson here is that I asked for forgiveness for my fault.  Jesus told us in no uncertain terms that when someone asks us to forgive them for their faults , we are required to do so.  This also applies when you ask someone else to forgive you for your faults, they must also forgive you or else it will be held against them.

Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times:but, Until seventy times seven.  Mat 18:21-22

Even this burly police officer was required to forgive me when I asked him to.

“Wait here while I check your record.” he said as he turned around and headed back to his car.  While I waited I was praising and thanking the Lord.  We can always praise Him in the midst of our trials because He inhabits our praises.  The people’s praises brought down the walls of Jericho!

So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.  Joshua 6:20

As he came back, I rolled down my window.  “You have a clean record.” he started, “Here are your papers.  I’ll let you go this time but if I catch you again, I will have no choice but to give you a ticket.”

“It won’t happen again.  Thank you, officer!”  I replied.

After I rolled up the window and drove away, I broke out in praise, “Yes, Lord, You are my Deliverer!  You are Yehovah Jireh, my Provider!  You take care of me!  Thank you, Jesus!”  Needless to say, I was ecstatic.

A few months ago, I was on my way to one of our outreach events when I got pulled over again.  Not really sure what I had done wrong, I started praying again “Lord Jesus, You are my Deliverer.  Let Your will be done.”

This time is was a young officer who came to the passenger side of my car.  I rolled down the window and asked, “I’m sorry, officer, but what did I do wrong?”  He huffed, “You were on your phone!”  He was right.  I had not plugged in my phone to my hands free.  One of the team members who was going to meet me there called, and not wanting to miss the call, I picked it up manually.

I looked straight at him and said, “You’re right.  I apologize.  I’m a minister and I am on my way to an outreach event.  Someone who is meeting me there called me and I didn’t want to miss the call.  So I picked it up.  I didn’t have it plugged into my hands free I have right here, which is what I should have done.  I really apologize.  Is there any way you could forgive me for this?”

He looked a bit puzzled and the asked, “Where’s your outreach event?”  “At the Meadowlands right down the road.” I replied.  “Can I see you papers?” he asked.  “Of course.” I said as I gave him my driver’s license and my insurance card but could not find the registration.  I was frantically looking for it and started explaining that this was actually my wife’s car and that I wasn’t sure where she kept her paperwork.  “It might be in here.  I’ll have to dig in here to look for it.  Again, I apologize, but if you could forgive me I would really appreciate it.” I said as I pointed to the center console.  “That’s alright.  Take your time.” he replied.

As I was digging to find the card, he said “You sound a bit nervous.  How come?” “Well,” I replied, “I guess I don’t really feel comfortable being stopped for something I shouldn’t be doing.”  He broke out in a smile and said, “Don’t worry.  I’m not going to give you a ticket.  I just want to make sure your paperwork is in order in case you get stopped again by somebody else.”

I finally found the registration card in the last place I looked and gave it to him.  “OK.  This looks in order.  You can go.”  I thanked him and he asked me where I was a minister.  I told him and then I asked him if I could pray for him.

“Sure. I can always use prayer.” he said.  The next moment I was holding his hand through the window as I was praying for him, his family and for his safety on the road as a police officer.  I gave him my card and said he could call me anytime.

Driving away I broke out in praise again.  We have a God who delivers us out of all of our afflictions when we put all our trust in Him.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.  Proverbs 3:5-6

Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.  Psalm 34:19

Franciscus M. Dartee

Grow in Faith | Walk in Power

 

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