Tuesday, May 7, 2013
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Movies just would not be as exciting without those stunt men. I mean, the stars aren't about to take all the risks that give the viewer those thrills and ruin those beautiful pretty faces. So, every once in a while the script, maybe let's say for a TV show, will call for a man to fall off a building or a cliff. And so the viewer sees this man hurtling through the air backwards, and you know it isn't a dummy because his arms are flailing around. Now you might say, "Oh, he is a dummy if he does something like that." Well, you know what I mean. It sure looks like we won't be seeing that fellow again; this is going to be his last movie. But appearances aren't everything. Oh, it looks like he's headed for a crash, but actually he's headed for a net.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Always There to Catch You."
Let's look at our word for today from the Word of God. It comes from Psalm 94, and I think you're going to like these verses; remember where they are-Psalm 94, and I'll begin reading at verse 17. David says, "Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. When I said, 'My foot is slipping,' Your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought joy to my soul." David here sounds sort of like that man going over the edge, arms flailing, out of control, my foot is slipping, I feel like I'm headed for the silence of death, anxiety is great within me. You been there recently? Maybe you feel like you're getting close to the edge.
Well, here's the good news. David found that there was a net to catch him. You, if you belong to Jesus, will always find there's a net to catch you. He talks about the fact that the Lord intervened in his fall with help, with love, with consolation, and even with joy. And that's always the way that it is if you belong to the Father through Jesus Christ. David was the man after God's own heart. God wasn't mad at him, but He allowed him to be pushed to the breaking point.
See, we have this iron-clad guarantee: God may allow you to be pushed to the breaking point but never past it. We have 1 Corinthians 10:13 that promises that: "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear." That's an air-tight promise! "When you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so you can stand up under it."
You see, God can do so much with our desperation. You see, desperation drives me to release all of my earth idols, my earth dependencies, to look at my messed-up priorities, and to cling completely to Him because He's all I've got. Faith grows only when it's stretched, and sometimes it has to be stretched to the breaking point. But then, just at the last minute, God will bring you that specific encouragement you need; that specific deliverance you've cried out for. And it may come from a place you never ever suspected, and at a time that you thought was past the time anything could happen. It's happened to me thousands of times. It's happened to countless saints over all the years; just enough to break your fall. It's the customized encouragement you need just at the last minute.
God often waits to bring an answer and so it sometimes looks like the answer isn't coming. Oh, but that's wrong. It always comes! When that stunt man is falling it looks like he's headed for a crash. No-he's headed for a net. And so are you. Your Father is always there to catch you.