Related commentaries – Sovereignty

God’s Sovereignty In Shaping The World – Proverbs 16:1 – 16:4

Catching a Plane to Meet His Divine Appointment

An unexpected delay in New York providently kept a Christian from catching Flight 191 in Chicago, which crashed with all 254 aboard. At the same time this happened one of God’s great saints ran to make Flight 191—and made it!” His name was Edward E. Elliott, beloved pastor of the Garden Grove Orthodox Presbyterian Church in California. His plane from Pennsylvania was late, and a friend who had accompanied him to Chicago said he last saw him “dashing forward” in the terminal to make his connection. As I thought about Pastor Elliott’s fruitful ministry, the question raised in my mind: “Was Divine providence operating only in New York and not in Chicago?” Immediately the words of the friend came alive: “At the time, Reverend Elliott didn’t know he was indeed running to his appointed time in Heaven.” (Charles Swindoll, Growing Strong, p. 268).