Wednesday, April 18, 2018
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It was pretty scary for a four-year-old little girl. My wife's grandfather had somehow managed to drop his favorite pen down a cistern in his yard. Yeah, Karen always remembered it as being about 25 feet deep, and she remembered that because she was the one who had to retrieve Granddad's valuable pen. Her Daddy made this makeshift harness for her to sit in, then tied a rope around her waist, and began to lower her down into that hole. Her mind was focused partly on the lost pen, and partly on what snakes might be down there in that damp hole in the ground. As she dangled in space in this scary place, she was counting on one thing: her big, strong Father was holding the rope.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Dangling in Space."
Dangling in space in a scary place might describe where you are in your life right now. It just feels as if you're holding onto nothing right now; you're moving through the dark.
That must be some of what David was feeling when he wrote our word for today from the Word of God. It's in Psalm 34, beginning at verse 3. David's actually hiding out in caves. The king, the most powerful man in the country, is hunting him to kill him. He's got all the troops out looking for him. You talk about anxiety!
But David writes these words: "Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called and the Lord heard him; He saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them...those who seek the Lord lack no good thing." Wow!
Now, there's nothing in here about the "snakes" at the bottom. No, the king, the death threats, the danger, the uncertain future. Those would be the snakes. As scary as David's situation is, he is living without fear; he's actually radiant he says. In a word, he's OK. Why? Because of who is holding the rope!
And that's why you're OK, too. Right now there may be far more questions than answers. The future is pretty uncertain. You feel like you're dangling in space, and there's danger below you. You can't see where the money could possibly come from, where an answer would come from, or how that person will ever change, or how you're going to find a way through this or a way out of it.
But if you've given yourself to Jesus Christ, you are a child of the Most High God! Your security doesn't come from the environment you're in, the position you're in, or the resources you can see. Your security comes from who is holding the rope: your big, strong Heavenly Father. You may be in a situation where it seems as if God is all you've got. That's when you find out that God is all you need. And it has nothing to do with your ability to hang on; it's all about God's ability to hang on.
You know, it's a good day to ask yourself if you are sure that you belong to Jesus Christ-the anchor relationship. We have no relationship with the Father in heaven unless first our sins are forgiven, because they keep us away from a God who's perfect. Those sins were paid for by God's own Son, Jesus, so you would never have to pay for them. He walked out of His grave to prove He could give you heaven. Today He's ready to bring that eternal life into your life if you'll say, "Jesus, I'm pinning all my hopes on You. You died for me. I will live for You. My life is Yours." That's when it all begins. That's when you're anchored in a relationship you can never lose.
If you want that kind of security, that kind of peace, that kind of love, let me encourage you to go to our website ANewStory.com. There, you'll be able to find out from God's Word how to be sure you really do belong to Him.
The future may look scary; it feels like you're dangling in space. But I'll tell you, you're safe if your Father's holding the rope!