Why I Believe

By Pastor Jerry LaFave

Why does anyone believe in God? There are many reasons. But, today I would like to share with you a personal story that continues to encourage my walk with God.

Blown from a rice paddy dyke in Vietnam I lay face down in the muddy water with multiple fragment wounds believing that my life was over. At nineteen I had so much more living to do, but with a gaping hole in my skull above my right eye and blood flowing freely from other wounds, I was certain that June 20, 1967, would be my last day. After several attempts, I managed to get to my feet and on a shattered right tibia struggle to reach the mud dyke the claymore mine had swept me from. I remember clearly how weak I became while waiting to be lifted by a rescue helicopter. It was in those moments of waiting that I decided to pray to the God I had heard about as a child, the God I wanted so desperately to believe in. The prayer was simple and to the point. "Lord, I don't want to die here in this mud! I want to go home! If you spare my life and allow me to return to my family, I will serve you the rest of my life." Instantly I felt a calming peace come over me. Though hurting, a renewed strength filled me. Somehow in that moment I knew I would return home. I was certain that the God of the Bible, the God who is identified as the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe had heard my prayer. Weeks later after several operations and recuperation, I received word that I would be sent back to the United States.

In the mean time, the Army had sent a telegram to my family to inform them that I had been wounded. The message read, "Your son has sustained a chest wound from a secondary explosion while entering a tunnel. Not seriously wounded. No further information to follow." Great military information, all wrong! Obviously my family was concerned for my well being and prayed for God's intervention in my behalf. One sister continued her prayers for me at her bedside. As she arose from her knees, a voice spoke to her. It said, "When you see the scar upon his face, you will know that this is the boy I saved for you." When at last I arrived at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C., my family was there to greet me. It was then that the missing section of skull and deep scars revealed to them the seriousness of my wounds and how inaccurate the Army information had been.

Thousands of miles away, the Lord had revealed to this sister that I had sustained a serious head injury. If I had considered the remarkable strength I received following my prayer to be just a coincidence, my sister's story helped me to realize that God had truly spared my life. In the year of recuperation that followed, many doctors confirmed the miraculous nature of my recovery. Yes, there is a God who hears and answers prayer! There is a God who rules over the affairs of men even as the Bible says (Daniel 4:17,25; 5:21).

Recognizing the design and order of our universe is where faith in the Creator begins. Each system, large or small, down to the smallest atom, function according to His laws and proclaim to all that life is by design and not by coincidence or accident. Though responsible for sustaining the operation of the universe, the Creator will come near to all who seek Him. It is a personal relationship with us that He desires. The Bible declares: "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all of your heart (Jeremiah 29:13). The heart that yearns to know God and the meaning of its existence will discover that He is very near. "Behold," He says, "I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me (Revelation 3:20).

From the moment I reached for Him in faith, I found Him near. You may also. The desire to know God will not go unnoticed for He loves us all. Give Him a chance by offering a simple prayer. Simply pray, "Lord I want to know You." Then open a Bible to the book of John in the New Testament and begin to read. You'll not be disappointed.

I'll continue my story of faith and some amazing discoveries that have sustained my faith for over thirty years in "Why I Believe--Part 2."