LOOKING UP WHEN OTHERS WANT TO KNOCK YOU DOWN

What do you do when your world collapses all around you?

When friends attack you?

When you feel alone?

Afraid?

In the dark?

You don’t know where your next meal will come from?

on August 5, 2010, Chile's San Jose mine collapsed trapping 33 miners trapped 2,300 feet, a half a mile, underground. People around the world fixated on their ordeal and fate.

The original plan would take up to 6 months to rescue the men. They did not have food or supplies to last more than a week or so.

The miners would end up spending 69 days below the Earth's surface before rescuers brought them all to safety.

What made the difference? As everyone celebrated the rescue of the 33 miners, many pointed to a higher power -- a 34th miner -- who they say was with them all along.

Shift foreman Luis Urzua was the first person to be heard once verbal contact was made with the miners. His first words were, "We are well and hoping that you will rescue us."

Urzua said he doesn't believe in luck, but he does believe in faith -- even when it seems like there is no hope.

"The devil couldn't do anything because God was present," he said.

Urzua recounted a time in the mine when one of his colleagues became ill. The prayers of the other miners, Urzua said, healed him.

"We made a prayer, we prayed in front of him," he said. "The next day, he was better. ... He was doing better than all of us."

That power of prayer stayed with the miners throughout their time underground.

"When we prayed, we didn't pray to get rescued; we prayed for the people outside not to abandon us," he said.

It was another answered prayer.

The miners spoke of the unmistakable presence of God throughout the entire ordeal. As they prayed and focused more upon their faith in God, it no longer became a matter of if they would be rescued, but when.

Hall, the man in charge of the drilling equipment and a believer noted the impossibility of the rescue.

“The miners were somewhere between 400 and 800 meters down,” he said.  “The mining equipment only goes to 400 meters. We were called in to help them get to 800.”

The mine did not have good maps, so they drilled blindly.  “After day 10 I was convinced it was a recovery effort, not a rescue,” he said. There was a place in the mine called the “refuge” where trapped workers could go during an emergency, but there were only provisions there for three days.

But, “On day 17 we hit a void and could hear tapping on our drill pipe.” When the pipe was pulled up, a note was wedged in the drill.  Translated from Spanish it said: “We are OK in the refuge, the 33.”

Hall called the Chilean government, which was directing the rescue and said he’d like to try and get the miners out. “They told me: ‘We’ve got nothing, go ahead and try,’” he said.

The modeling showed he could not safely get enough pressure to dig deep enough or wide enough. “Our drills were undersized, and we could not use fluids to get enough power because that would have drowned the miners.”

Hall found strength in prayer throughout the ordeal. One morning, while praying the Liturgy of the Hours, he focused on

 Hall prayed:  “I’m going to do everything I can, Lord, but this is not my work, this is your work.” He meditated on Psalm 63

Psalm 63 NASB95

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. 1 O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2 Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. 3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You. 4 So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. 5 My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips. 6 When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, 7 For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. 8 My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me. 9 But those who seek my life to destroy it, Will go into the depths of the earth. 10 They will be delivered over to the power of the sword; They will be a prey for foxes. 11 But the king will rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him will glory, For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.

The drill made it, near the end, only 100 feet away from the miners, then EVERYTHING stopped. “We were stuck, totally, 100 percent stuck,” Hall said.  It seemed that it really was not humanly possible to drill the hole.  “I felt completely defeated. I thought: I can’t do this. Then it hit me: I don’t have to do this. God’s going to do this; he’s going to carry it.” Hall thought back to Psalm 63 and prayed: “I’ve done everything I can, Lord, this is your work.  You are going to have to send your angels.”

That is when the miracle happened.  The drill moved again. Meter after meter, it kept moving until it reached the miners.  “It was God,” Hall said. “God drilled the hole. We just had a good seat.”

On Oct. 12 the miners began leaving the mine, one by one until all 33 were out on Oct. 13, The miners had been praying daily.  

Hall said the experience was a witness to the power of God. “It was a witness to what St. Paul said: ‘When we are weakest we are strong.’  It was not me,” he said. “It was God. It was a miracle.”

Daniel 6:10–23 NASB95

10 Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously. 11 Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. 12 Then they approached and spoke before the king about the king’s injunction, “Did you not sign an injunction that any man who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, is to be cast into the lions’ den?” The king replied, “The statement is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.” 13 Then they answered and spoke before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps making his petition three times a day.” 14 Then, as soon as the king heard this statement, he was deeply distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel; and even until sunset he kept exerting himself to rescue him. 15 Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Recognize, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or statute which the king establishes may be changed.” 16 Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions’ den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.” 17 A stone was brought and laid over the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing would be changed in regard to Daniel. 18 Then the king went off to his palace and spent the night fasting, and no entertainment was brought before him; and his sleep fled from him. 19 Then the king arose at dawn, at the break of day, and went in haste to the lions’ den. 20 When he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel spoke to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 “My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime.” 23 Then the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

Daniel kept his head up when others sought to put him down.

Daniel consistently honored the most important authority. (v. 10; 16)

He had testimony in front of the earthly king.

He had the favor of our heavenly King.

No matter what others say, only God’s word is unchangeable. (v.15)

Daniel 4. The Deliverance of Daniel (6:19–23)

The angel was evidently visible to Daniel, and it is comforting to think of the faithful old prophet spending the night in fellowship with the Lord during this trying ordeal (cf. comments on 3:24–27). Hebrews 11:33 alludes to this experience.

When you have God’s ear, the mouths of liars and lions will be shut.

The concern of Darius kept him from eating.

The protection of the Lord kept the lions from biting or scratching.

Daniel chose to focus on God’s approval.

He relied upon God’s presence to protect and preserve him.

Where do you find it difficult to remain faithful?

Where do you find it hard to keep your heart from the temptation to seek approval from your boss, friends, or the world?