PORTERVILLE POST | The "RIGHT" Word © ~ with Brother Scott

| “FIVE SECONDS”(!)

The Right Word^© - Sep 06, 2026
with Brother Scott : scott@portervillepost.com

Listen :
First Read --> († Romans 8:14-39) <-- In today’s discussion, I am going to briefly share with you about two events that were life-altering for me and my beloved wife.
These are the kinds of things one can only see by looking back at significant happenings in his or her life usually many years later.
The point of doing so (looking back) for any follower of the Lord Jesus Christ is to catch a glimpse of God’s hand upon our lives (if that is possible) that involved the hardships, indeed the catastrophes that erupt against us while we are counting on the Lord for His blessing and protection from trouble.

In what I share today, I hope that it will be meaningful to you
In what I share today, I hope that it will be meaningful to you about things past that you didn’t understand and to offer some modest comfort about things yet future as to why they happen to you as a beloved child of the eternal God.

( † † † )
† 1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. 16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian [suffering at the hand of others or suffering in God’s refining process], let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. 17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. [And as to the “will of God”:]
† 1 Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication [physical and spiritual—see † James 4:4]: 4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour. . . 7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. 8 He therefore that despiseth [the Word or God’s preachers or teachers declaring it], despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

Just minutes ago we read some things from († Romans 8) where Paul uses the word “adoption”. When a boy or girl is adopted by a couple, they are brought into the home and family and made one of the couple’s own children.
Now if the child is older in age than from an infant to about 4 or 5 years old, he or she likely has developed some attitudes and habits that may not be in agreement with those of godly parents, especially if having been in county juvenile facilities or some foster homes and has some things that must be trained out of the child—hopefully by patient counseling, correcting, or scolding—or perhaps even by a temporarily painful means (a spanking—but don’t tell the social worker!).

As adopted children into the family of God we are
not much different than such an adopted child
that is in need of life-altering discipline.

We need to be set free from the results of our old ways and the hard experiences that have caused our hearts to become hardened, [set free from] bad habits (i.e. unforgiveness, revenge, being uncaring or unloving), wrong behaviors (greed, selfishness, uncontrolled anger), and even evil ways (lying, sexual uncleanness, dishonesty, others).
But our being corrected and changed is being done by a most loving Father, and as thinking adults we must learn to give Him reverence as a Parent that literally “can do no wrong” and [give Him] the respect deserving of a wise and ever-patient but determined Father.

( † † † )
† Proverbs 1:7 The fear (moral reverence as the people of God) of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge (knowing, aka: the end of ignorance) [this phrase is used 14 times in Proverbs]: but fools despise (disrespect) wisdom and instruction (chastisement, reproof, warning, correction, discipline).
† Hebrews 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening (tutored, educated, trained, corrected, nurtured) of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked (convicted of a fault, to correct; [When Jesus rebuked = to strictly charge, to impose a forbidding]) of him: 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth (train up a child, educate, discipline), and scourgeth (whips) every son whom he receiveth (accepts). 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure [Suggested meaning: to be theoretically pleased at correcting a bad behavior for our own good]; but he for our profit (advantage, be better for), that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. 12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees [don’t pout and blame or be angry at God]; 13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

I opened today by telling you that “I was going to briefly share with you
two events that were life-altering for me and my wife.”
It’s possible that you have rushed ahead in your thinking and realize what those events were to accomplish. Yes, it has to do with God wanting to “correct certain behaviors” in His two children, Scott and Gail.
Now I will say that I am speaking only about what things the events corrected in me but will not speak on behalf of my wife—we each had different things addressed by God although by the sharing the same two events.

One event lasted specifically 3 seconds and the other event happened to us over about 7 days but continued negatively as a development against us for four and a half more years.

If you recall during our meeting last week when testimonies were being given, there were two having to do with recent traffic accidents involving some of you here. The unspoken thought that was hinted at was, “Why did God allow those accidents to happen, why didn’t He stop them from happening—according to our faith in His protections?”

And so, it is that very issue that is
the reason for today’s discussion.

My wife’s and my lives were ultimately, dramatically and negatively changed in the physical realm by situations where God could have easily prevented those events from happening—yet He-did-not! In fact, the first event actually set the stage for the second event a few years later. What events?
When I resigned from the mortgage banking industry in the year 2000, I did so with a wonderful pension balance and a nice 401k account, which we converted 100% into gold and silver coins.
I remember being quite happy with myself that the price of silver had gone up from what we paid at $5 per coin to $49.00 by November, 2011, and with the number of ounces that we had when it hit $75, we would have $1,000,000 just in silver.
Then the purchase of this property came up and with what we were holding, the down payment and monthly payments would not be a problem even with an already large mortgage on the wonderful house we were also buying.
So—we entered into a 10-year mortgage for this land with all aspects of the negotiating and purchase lead by the Lord. And then not much longer afterward, in just one week of events, silver dropped to $33 and eventually bottomed out at $14 after a visit even to a heartbreaking $12.
With two mortgages totaling more than $3600, within a few short years the nest egg that would take us comfortably into the future was consumed and we needed to leave the house to carve out a place to live here.
The purchasing of this property in that timeline could have easily been stopped by the Lord by at least 5 different ways—but He-did-not!

This was the first of the two life-altering events that I mentioned.

Then after we had relocated to this property in late 2015, with no means to even pay its next payment (we had to keep one property or the other), a year later we were forced off the road and broadsided a telephone pole at over 50 mph and again, things changed for us in a very-negative-way.

If God had just somehow delayed our being at the spot by FIVE SECONDS(!), or kept the other driver somehow from being on the wrong side of the road by those few seconds, certain things would not be the way they are today.

God could have stopped what became a very different future than what we would otherwise be living today had the accident not happened—but He did not! Did Gail and I trust the Lord for His provisions and protections? Yes, but(!) there are times when God’s plans for a person or a couple overrule how we presume what He will do for us in our defense or protection.
If we are wise through our growing in our experiences, we will do as Job did on the terrible day he lost everything, including his children— (at † Job 1:20-22) he worshiped and blessed the name of the Lord.
By the way (a little irony), literally the very month we ran completely out of silver and moved penniless to this location, the value of silver began to rise, yet we had not one silver coin left to our name.
Why didn’t the Lord stop us from buying this land and therefore prevent certain unfavorable changes in our future life? If He had, we wouldn’t a few years later have then been returning home to this property on the road where the accident happened!

Why didn’t He give us that FIVE SECONDS as a delay or by better traffic conditions get us FIVE SECONDS ahead on the road before the other driver came around at us on that fateful curve?
Why? God had things that were more important to us to accomplish than my wife and I to have a comfortable life.

For me, He had some serious work to do about who I really counted on for our provision and the faith to actually trust Him. He had to shake loose in my mind and heart those things that needed to be shaken and knocked down in order that (eventually by my growth) that which could not be shaken, my faith and trust in God, would be established and further refined by trials and various tribulations since then.

( † † † )
† Psalm 138:8 The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
† Psalm 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered (appointed, set up [arranged]) by the LORD: and he delighteth (the man /em>bends to, inclines to while taking pleasure in the Lord’s attention [see also († 2 Corinthians 12:9-10)] in his way. 24 Though he [the man] fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
† Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing [how we really are within], whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
† Job 1:20 [After hearing of all that he had lost in a single day and not the least was his 10 children, he did not hesitate but] …Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. 22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

I needed some major spiritual surgery in my heart and mind, and a pace-maker (of sorts) installed in my spirit. By these two events it was a crash-course in humility against pride, faith against self-reliance, and a needed fear of the Lord versus and attitude of “Hey, God, thanks for being on my side and blessing my life with success” [events I needed] to make me who I am today.

And who I am today is not the same guy who proudly owned ...

And who I am today is not the same guy who proudly owned lots of silver and gold and had a very short-sighted understanding of what the Lord still needed to do in me—and He’s not done with me yet! And so I ask Him, “Oh, Lord, be merciful and as gentle on me as You can.”
Do we pray and believe God for protection, health and healing, and for favor, blessing and provision? Yes! But let us not forget that our loving Father has a predetermined and appointed plan for each of us that is to bring us into conformity to the very likeness of His Son Jesus.

That plan, dear ones, often requires unpleasant things happening to us that we would not have wanted nor expected—yet, are necessary things for our training & purification unto holiness.

When you want to cry out, “Why, Lord?”, as a reminder, look up this verse again and you will see that if God did not spare Jesus the cross, which was needed to save you and me, He’s not likely to spare you unpleasantness at the cost of you not becoming like Jesus. Selah!

( † † † )
† Romans 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

~ Brother Scott ... With ... The Right Word^© ... For Today~