WED 16 AUG
THAT SINKING FEELING
READ Jonah 2:5 Psalm 69:1-36
FOCUS ‘I had almost drowned in the waves. The deep waters were all around me. Seaweed was wrapped around my head.’ Jonah 2:5
The church building was emblazoned by a fluorescent orange poster. It carried but two words in thick, gothic script: ‘Jesus saves!’ One passer-by was obviously not initiated in such language, and wanted to know why our Lord was being applauded for His thrifty saving habits. These days, we don’t often hear people using the term, ‘saved’ – so we’d do well to remind ourselves that God is our ultimate rescuer. Jonah was in really dire straits – fighting for air in the choppy waves, marooned in fathoms of dark water, and even tangled up in suffocating seaweed – he was in a real mess, and could do nothing to save himself. But God brought his life up. And He’s done the same for us. The cross declares God’s utter power and our total helplessness. There was nothing that we could do to rescue ourselves; we were helpless. It was at the cross that God stooped down to the chaos and scooped us up in His arms. I love those stories that celebrate the impossible rescue: the swashbuckling hero, against all odds, shows up at the last minute to snatch a captive from the jaws of death. Of course, there’s one small problem: usually, those stories aren’t true. When the lights come up at the end of the film, we’re a little deflated because we know we’ve been enthralled by a work of fiction. But the gospel is no fairy tale. We’ve been saved. We will think about this a little more tomorrow, but in the meantime, let’s give thanks for our salvation! Prayer: I was lost, and You found me; helpless, and Your love lifted me. I praise You, loving, mighty Saviour. Amen. 47
