He Comes

Say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you." There are so many paintings of Jesus Christ coming and saving those who are in desperate need of Him. I think my favorite is the one that shows Him reaching down to one who is underwater and drowning, with the intent to rescue them from certain death. It comes nearest to reminding me of my own saving experience with Him, and I've a life experience to compare to it. In my childhood, there was a lake in a western Pennsylvania state park that my family would go to every summer. It was always a great time. The lake itself had a rope stretched across the swimming area, preventing non-swimmers like me from going further out into deeper water. I would always go to it with the intent of testing the limits. One time, as I was walking along the rope, I stepped into a hole. I was immediately underwater and didn't know how to get out of it. I floundered about, getting my head above water, and then sinking again beneath it. After several repeats of this, and in near panic, the lifeguard, who was not far away, saw me and dove into the water to save me. He brought me to shore, and I knew he had saved my life. I've thought often of that day, 47 years ago this month, when Jesus Christ came to a floundering, drowning young man, and saved me. I don't have any memory of even noticing that lifeguard who before he jumped into the water to save me, but he was there. He was looking all about him. There were other people around, but none of them saw me. He did. He came. He saved me. It was much the same in my spiritual experience. All my choices had led me to a place where I was slowly but surely drowning. Like my childhood self, I was floundering, sinking, becoming more and more unable to keep my head above water. I remember being in a room full of people, partying as usual, yet feeling lost, broken, hopeless. None of those around knew it or saw it. Yet Jesus, who I hadn't really been aware of for many years, was there. He saw me, and He came in the midst of me floundering about to save me. My drowning went on for a couple more months, but all the while He was there, guarding me, leading me to Himself, till the August evening, when in the dining room of the home I grew up in, I came into His saving embrace, and He lifted me out of the hole that was destroying me, and took me safely to the shore of His Kingdom. I have been with Him, and more, He has been with me ever since. I don't know where you're living this day or how long you've been there. I don't know what enemy, obstacle, danger, or threat comes against you. I don't know how deep the hole is that you are trapped in. What I do know is that He sees you and He comes to you. When that lifeguard came to me, I didn't fight against him as panicking people are prone to do. I allowed him to embrace me and take me to shore. Jesus comes to you where you are right now. Enter into His embrace. He has come to save you from whatever it is "killing" you. Let Him. Cease fighting. Cease running. The Lord who reaches down to where we are in order to lift us to where He is, has come. Let Him save you. Blessings, Pastor O