DAY 9

Out of the Jaws of the Lion

Peter's love for and skill at flying eventually led him to secure his pilot's license, an asset which would prove invaluable numerous times during years of ministry in rural Africa. On one trip in a small bush plane with a ministry colleague named Werner, Peter's instrument panel malfunctioned forcing him to fly with the aid of only a map and compass. When thick clouds began to hide the ground, he was forced to land and reestablish their position before heading for home. 

Much to their horror, the two men were greeted on the ground by a group of men in military uniforms carrying guns with bandoliers strapped to their chests. They soon realized they had drifted off course and had landed in the civil war riddled country of Mozambique! A commander emerged and summoned Peter and Werner into the nearby compound, full of bullet and shrapnel holes; Peter breathed a silent prayer and prepared for the worst.

Several hours of interrogation followed. Hundreds of questions were poured over the two men in order to validate their story. During a pause in the questioning, the interrogators left the room and Peter contemplated an escape attempt on foot. However, the 80 mile trek to Zimbabwe through a war zone seemed too dangerous and the men agreed to wait and pray. When the military officials returned, the commander addressed the detainees, "We have been in radio contact with our headquarters... everything is OK and you free to leave..."     

Peter remembers the revelation that followed. "Our commander had wanted to become a pilot in the air force but for reasons that were not given, he was not successful. He still cherished the idea that pilots were the highest form of human life and were to be treated as such. From then on, I had to make every decision, “The pilot must say,” was repeated every time. And perhaps most significantly of all, the excellent runway that we had landed on had never been used by an aircraft before... but the commander had prepared it in the fond hope that someday an aircraft would land at Fingoe, and here we were. I found out later that there was not another airstrip for 100 miles in any direction. I call that Divine Intervention."

Questions: 

1. The Bible is full of stories of divine intervention. One of the most striking is found in Daniel 6:13-23. What are some correlations between this story and Peter's account of his emergency landing in Mozambique?
2. How did Daniel respond when God delivered him in Daniel 6:21-22? When Peter was released "out of the jaws of the lion" in Mozambique, what do you think he learned about God? 
3. Have you ever been in a life-threatening or very dangerous situation like Daniel or Peter? How did the Lord deliver you? What did you learn about God because of it? What did you learn about yourself? 
4. Psalm 46:1 describes God as a very real help in time of need. Maybe you have never faced a den of lions or regiment of soldiers. How has God proven to be of help in the "times of need" in your story?