A Dead Man Saved Their Lives

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1Thess. 5:18)

One stormy night in 1910, a group of traveling musicians arrived at the city of Riga, on the Baltic Sea, to fulfill a concert engagement. The weather was so bad, however, that the conductor of the orchestra tried to persuade the manager of the hall to cancel the concert. He felt sure that no one would venture out on such a rainy night.

The manager refused to cancel, but he did agree that if not even one listener turned up, the orchestra could leave early in order to catch the night boat bound for Helsinki, Finland.

When the musicians arrived at the concert hall they found only one person sitting in the audience—a stout old man who seemed to smile at everyone. Because of this one old man, the musicians were forced to play the entire concert and were unable to leave early to catch the boat. After the concert was over the old man continued sitting in his seat.

Thinking he was asleep, an usher nudged his shoulder. Only then was it discovered that the old man was dead. The musicians had played the entire concert for a dead man. But, ironically, playing for this dead man had actually saved their own lives because the boat they would have taken to Finland sank that very night with a complete loss of life!

Sometimes we get irritated when circumstances don’t go our way. But God’s Word tells us that “In every thing” we should “give thanks” because we do not know how God might be using those bad circumstances for good in our lives.

Take some time this morning to thank the Lord that He is wise enough to take your bad circumstances and use them for good in your life.

Share this post