August 19, 2021
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Sometimes something happens in the news that just leaves images you just can't forget. For me, one of those is that massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan. That was one of those. Those images of that inescapable wall of water consuming everything in its path! I mean, those are moments that are more than impressive. They're moving! Sometimes even the usually dispassionate reporters get caught up in a story like that.
I heard this one reporter telling, with some real emotion, about a scene she had witnessed in a survivors' shelter. It was a dad holding his three-year-old daughter. When the tsunami hit, he grabbed her in his arms. Those raging waters nearly pulled her out of his arms. He had to hold onto her, literally for dear life, and he saved her. And now, even though they had been safe in the shelter for two days, he was still clinging tightly to his little girl. He refused to let her go.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Holding On Tight."
That man loves that girl. He fought for her. He saved her, and he will not let her go.
Now, I'm a father, but I actually see myself in that little child with a Heavenly Father who has saved me from what would otherwise have carried me into an unthinkable eternity. In the words of the Bible, "He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness" (Colossians 1:13). Here's how the Bible describes the unshakeable relationship God wants to have with all those who belong to Him; that He wants to have with you. It says, "The Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty Savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs" (Zephaniah 3:17 - NLB).
See, God offers you a security that transcends even life's most devastating losses. There's the disturbing question to ask about everything and everyone that we depend on, "Is it something or someone I can lose?" If it is, then you can never have any real security, or any lasting peace. You never know when you'll lose what you've been hanging onto. But when you belong to Jesus, you're forever safe because He's hanging onto you! And He will not let you go.
In John 10:28, our word for today from the Word of God, Jesus says, "I give them eternal life and they shall never perish...No one can snatch them out of My Father's hand." See, God fought for your life. He gave everything to save you. From what? From the spiritual death penalty that we all deserve for taking the life that God gave us and doing our life our way instead of His way in thousands of choices we make over a lifetime. We have, in essence, said we believe in God but then we take over the running of our life, and that's called sin. And the Bible says, "The soul who sins will die" (Ezekiel 18:4). The tsunami of God's judgment was headed for me. Until the very God I have defied stepped in to save me by sending His one and only Son to die on a cross to pay the price for my sin. He did that for you too.
From the moment you tell Jesus you're giving yourself to Him as your Rescuer from your sin, God becomes your Father and you become His child. And He will never let go of you. He gave His Son to rescue you. He's not about to lose you now. The question is, are you sure there's been a time when you told Jesus, "You're my only hope. I'm Yours." If you're not sure; you want to be, make this the day you turn to Him. Talk to Him. You say, "Jesus, I'm Yours. You died for me. You walked out of Your grave so You could walk into my life, and I'm giving myself to You."
Then this is a good time for you to go to our website. It's kind of a crossroads website. Many people there have come away knowing they belong to Jesus. I want you to go there today. It's ANewStory.com. That's the website.
God has promised He'll hold on tight to the one He has saved. And I'll tell you, in the cascading waters of these uncertain times we're living in, it's really good to know that He's holding onto you.