By Liang Zhi
I was protected by God in a car accident.
It was about 1 p.m. on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month of 2015 when I was riding home on my electric scooter. As I rode from east to west and got to about thirty meters from a crossroads in the town, I saw more than twenty taxis and buses parked on both sides of the street and many people standing there waiting to take vehicles to go home, so I slowed my scooter down because there were no traffic lights ahead. Unexpectedly, when I was carefully crossing the road, a car drove rapidly toward me from north to south. Before I realized what was going on, there was a loud crash and I was sent flying with my scooter and lost my consciousness.
When I opened my eyes, I heard someone call: “Look! He finally woke up.” At this time, I only felt dizzy, I could hardly breathe, and my right arm, back, and waist were very painful. Before I had time to think, there came an ambulance. When I was carried to it, I heard people discussing this thing. They said: “Wow! He was thrown over ten meters away by the car, but he is still alive. He is really lucky!” “Yes. Accidents always take place at this crossroads. Last month, a man and his wife and child on a motorcycle had a car accident. They got hit by a car at this crossroads and it sent them flying for several meters. The couple was dead despite emergency treatment, and only the child was saved.” “Alas! Look! The bumper and the front of the car have been smashed. The scooter was knocked out of shape and the helmet was also thoroughly broken. The man may be badly injured …” Hearing these words, I was moved to tears. I knew very well that it was because of God’s great power and protection that I could survive such a terrible car accident. I was full of gratitude toward God in my heart.
After I was sent to the county hospital, I was given a series of examinations, including electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, X-ray. The doctor saw all the results and said to me with amazement: “You had such a terrible car accident and were sent flying so far by the car, but now the results show that nothing is seriously wrong with you. It’s simply a miracle!” At this time, I was very excited and said quietly to myself: “Thank God! It was God who protected and saved me! …” Then another doctor said: “Now your condition is not bad, but we can’t guarantee whether it will leave sequela on you or not. We suggest that you be hospitalized for examination in case of any future trouble.” And the car driver also said excitedly: “Thank Heaven! It’s nice that you are well. You are truly blessed by Heaven! Mr. Liang, the doctor is right. You can be hospitalized for examination in case of any after-effects.” At this time, I thought about God’s love for me that hot tears of gratitude again welled up in my eyes. I said to them seriously: “Today it was because Heaven protected me that I could be saved from danger. Since nothing is wrong with me, then there is no need to be hospitalized.”
God’s words helped me out of temptation when Satan tempted me.
Several days later, the traffic police team called me to handle the accident. The car driver and I came to the traffic police team. The Deputy Captain Jiang showed us the accident record, saying that the car driver was suspected of drunken driving and should take all responsibility for the accident. And then he asked us to negotiate with each other about the claim. The driver crisply said: “Don’t worry, Mr. Liang! My car has been insured. The insurance company can recompense all your losses, including your loss in income due to missed working time, recuperation costs, and medical expenses. You can take this opportunity to make a claim for more money. I will try my best to help you. Don’t lose this chance or your suffering will be in vain, right?” Then he told me all the related matters about the claim. Hearing what he said, I began to waver in my heart: “It’s indeed a good chance. I can easily get a large sum of money without needing to work hard. That’s really a nice thing.” I then thought of one of my relatives. He had a car accident and claimed over one hundred thousand yuan in compensation. Later, he built a house and bought a lot of furniture. His family led a comfortable life. But look at me: in these years, my mother got ill, and my wife fell off the bicycle and broke her arm. Much money has been spent on their treatment. Now we are a little pressed for money. If I can take this opportunity to get tens of thousands yuan, then our living conditions will be improved. By then … When I was indulging in fantasy, suddenly, I was somewhat dizzy and felt uncomfortable in my heart. At this time, I realized that my thoughts just now were wrong! I’m a Christian. Now I’m clearly alright; how can I say that there is something seriously wrong with me and make the insurance company compensate me? Isn’t this cheating others? However, the temptation was too great for me. So I could only eagerly call out to God: “God! I can’t resist this temptation and want to claim a sum of money. But I know that I should act according to Your words and live out the likeness that a Christian should have. So I should just claim what is due to me. God, I’m willing to forsake my flesh. May You give me strength so that I can overcome this temptation from Satan.”
Just at this time, I thought of God’s words: “In every step of work that God does within people, externally it appears to be interactions between people, as if born of human arrangements or from human interference. But behind the scenes, every step of work, and everything that happens, is a wager made by Satan before God, and requires people to stand firm in their testimony to God.” From God’s words, I understood God’s will: In everything in daily life, it is an interaction between people on the outside, but in essence it is a battle in the spiritual world. Behind the scenes, it is Satan making a bet with God and requires me to express my attitude and stand testimony to God. As a believer in God, I should take God’s words as my principles of conduct in everything, and only in this way can I be called a real Christian. Now behind the thing that has befallen me, it is also Satan accusing me. Satan is using the words of the driver and the money to tempt me to go against God’s words, thus trying to make me lose my ground and lose the testimony a Christian should bear. I know that God is observing me and that Satan is also watching me, waiting to see what choice I will make. Reflecting on myself, when faced with money and interests, I would almost waver and I was really spineless! It was due to God’s protection that I was safe and sound. Yet I wanted to take this opportunity to get a large sum of money to improve our living conditions. If I did this, it would directly humiliate God and make Satan laugh at me. I can’t do such things that humiliate God’s name in order to get these ill-gotten gains. After understanding God’s will, I’m willing to put aside my fleshly interests, and stand testimony to satisfy God and humiliate Satan.
Later, Deputy Captain Jiang asked us the result of our negotiation. I said seriously: “I feel very lucky that I could survive this car accident and that there was nothing wrong with me. All I want to claim is an electric scooter and nothing else.” Hearing my words, they two were a bit shocked. The driver signaled to me with his eyes, drew me to the corner of the room, and whispered in my ear: “Mr. Liang, why are you dissatisfied with money? Not to speak of more, you can get tens of thousands yuan at least. Are you really unwilling to take this good opportunity to get money? Just carefully think about it.” Then Jiang said to me: “I’ve taken care of traffic accidents for so many years, but I’ve never seen anyone so honest as you. You’d better think about it carefully. Once we settle this case, even if you have any after-effects in future, we’ll have no responsibility. So don’t regret it.” Hearing their words, I felt it hard to calm down, but I knew it was Satan’s scheme. So I constantly prayed to God in my heart: “God, You know that my heart is covetous of wealth and that I really can’t overcome this temptation by myself, but I’m unwilling to follow my fleshly desire to fall into Satan’s trap and do such things that humiliate Your name. May You protect me.” After praying, I calmed down a lot and signed the settlement of closing the case. When I raised my head and saw that Jiang and the driver cast looks of approval upon me, I felt very happy and my heart was especially peaceful and steadfast.
I saw through Satan’s scheme again.
Two days later, the car driver and I came to the insurance company. Before the office hours began, we sat waiting on the chair in the hall. At this time, the driver again whispered in my ear: “Mr. Liang, here it’s the last chance. This accident brought you so much trauma, and you actually suffered some pain. After a while, when you are asked about your losses, you can say how long you were hospitalized and which company you are working for, and you can overstate your monthly salary. Then the insurance company will make higher compensation to you. This is the last chance for you to ‘make money.’ If you miss it, there will be none.” Hearing his words, I clearly realized that it was out of Satan’s temptation. At this time, I prayed silently. I’m a believer in God. It’s my duty to stand testimony to God and it’s even more the value of my life. I only wish for God to protect my heart so that I won’t do anything against my conscience and God’s will. God’s words say: “To have the speech and comportment of a normal human being is to speak coherently, saying ‘yes’ when you mean ‘yes,’ and ‘no’ when you mean ‘no.’ Stick to the facts and speak appropriately. Do not cheat, do not lie.” The guidance of God’s words made me even more understand His will and the way to practice. God has incarnated and expressed the truth to save man; His aim is to purify our corruption so that we can rely on His words to live, become honest and straight, and live out the likeness of a real man. I then thought: In this car accident, if it had not been for God’s protection, I would have had my arms or legs broken even if I had not died. In that case, what use would it be even if I have gotten much more money? Isn’t life more important than money? Thinking of these, I felt relieved. I was willing to act according to God’s words, practicing to be honest and speak based on facts. So I firmly refused the driver’s “good intention.”
I stood testimony to God and humiliated Satan.
In the afternoon, after we handed in the accident report provided by the traffic police team to Manager Yang of the insurance company and briefly told him my requirements, he gave me a thumbs up and said to me with a smile: “You are really honest. In today’s society, good people like you are rare. Others who have a car accident all argue for more money, whereas you don’t ask for more than a penny even though you had such a terrible car accident. I have handled many cases but have never met a second one like yours.” After that, the driver also held my hands tightly and said excitedly: “Yes. Mr. Liang, during the several day’s interaction with you, I see that you are different from others. In this money-centered society, you are not moved by money. Now I’ll make friends with you!” Hearing their words, I thanked God in my heart constantly. It was not because I was good but because of the result that God’s words achieved on me that I could forsake my flesh, put aside my wrong intentions, and speak some honest and true words. May the glory be to God!
Recalling the experience in the short ten days, I truly experienced God’s guidance and protection for me. It was God’s words that made me have some discernment and stand testimony to God. At the same time, I also saw that as Christians, what we do every day is a battle in the spiritual world and involves the testimony to God. Satan always accuses us and uses all kinds of temptations to deceive us. Without the guidance of God’s words, I wouldn’t have discerned Satan’s schemes and would have only fallen into its temptation, losing my testimony and humiliating God’s name. From now on, I’m willing to read more of God’s words, pursue the truth, and rely on God’s words to act and conduct myself in everything.
