Psalm 119:105 – Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (KJV)

Some 21 years ago now, the deadline for income tax returns to be postmarked was just a few days away. On this particular evening, my husband Marcelo decided that it would be best to drive to the post office and drop the return into the drive-through mailbox so that it would be postmarked first thing in the morning. At the time, our granddaughter Sha, then aged 13, was visiting. Marcelo offered to treat us to an ice cream cone on the way home if we wanted to go with him to the post office.

Just as we were about to get into the car, an extremely uneasy feeling came over me. I told Marcelo, "Something is wrong, I don't feel safe. We need to pray!"

Psalm 91 came to mind, and though I couldn't remember all of it, I prayed what I could remember.

Psalm 91:1-2,11-12 – He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. (KJV)

We made it safely to the post office, but on the way to get the ice cream, we were hit by a speeding van that had run a red light. The van slammed into the driver's side of our car, pinning Marcelo behind the steering wheel.

We were taken by ambulance to the hospital. Several of Marcelo's ribs were broken, Sha had back and neck injuries, and I was very badly bruised from the seat belt, and shattered window glass had cut my hand.

We never met the driver of the van, but we were told that he was not hurt physically and that he had been driving under the influence of alcohol. Apparently, he desperately needed Jesus, and we prayed that he would be saved, healed, and delivered.

Later, when the three of us shared what we had felt upon the impact of the crash, we each described a gentle, back-and-forth, slow-motion swish, then an abrupt thud when the impact of the crash was over. I think that the gentle, slow-motion, swish sensation resulted from angels taking the actual hard blows for us.

That evening, I learned the importance of knowing and memorizing Scripture. I thanked God for the warning and for the covering of Psalm 91.

We can liken Scripture memorization to depositing money in a savings account. If we never make any deposits, there is nothing that we can withdraw when we need it.

We need to take time to read, learn, and memorize God's Word, hiding it in our hearts so that it is readily available to help us to pray effectively.

Prayer: Lord, we thank You for Your precious Word. It truly is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Amen.