A picture of a wrecked and mangled car scrolled onto the screen. Gasps escaped from the audience. On stage Ken Allen choked back tears.
Allen, associational mission strategist for DeKalb Baptist Association, shared his story of God’s faithfulness to those in the crowd at the Alabama Baptist State Convention during the Nov. 13 morning session.
In February 2018, Allen’s daughter, Abby, was in a car wreck. She was placed on a ventilator and suffered seizures, a brain bleed, and leg and neck injuries. Abby was sent to Shepherd’s Center in Atlanta for rehabilitation, where she spent four months in rehab — both inpatient and outpatient.
In May, Abby was able to return home and Allen gives all credit to God for His faithfulness in Abby’s recovery. “When I saw Abby’s car on that wrecker, I was very aware of the nearness of God,” he said. “God is the One we can go to in times of trouble.”
Allen preached out of Psalm 46 on the faithful God who is worthy of our trust. “It is my aim that we will completely trust the God who is able,” he said.
In times of trouble and heartache, like Abby’s car accident, Christians must trust in God. God is absolutely faithful. “There are times of desperation when we need to cry out to Him, and I was crying out to the Lord,” Allen said. “I was crying out for mercy. I was crying out to Him for Abby’s head in that moment.”
It’s about crying out in complete desperation for the Lord, Allen continued. “But we are too concerned about what others may think when we do. We need to logically run to our Savior and plant ourselves there and stay there.”
God is worthy of our trust because His presence is absolute, His provision is abundant and His power is ageless, Allen said.
“When we trust in Him absolutely, we will not fear,” he said.
Christians don’t need to carry their struggles and concerns alone. God is the ultimate refuge, Allen said. “Stop battling in your own strength. Trust the Lord. God has the power and it has been proven over and over again.”
Referencing Francis Chan’s analogy from his book “Letters to the Church,” Allen described the need to hand everything over to God. We wouldn’t play basketball with Lebron and hog the ball, he said. “We would let Lebron do what he does best … No matter our outward circumstances, pass the ball to the King of kings and the Lord of lords,” Allen said. “Come and behold. Watch in awe at what He will do.”
Amid the chaos of life and the storms that come, “God is our constant,” Allen said. “Stand on the ground that God is faithful to finish what He started in us.”
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