Picture this… There is a large cliff with a dangerously steep drop; the ground unseen as it’s so far below. On the ridge hangs a man, who is alive only by the grip of his hand holding onto the edge. With each passing moment, the grip slowly weakening… his fingers are slipping. As he dangles high above, fear of the unknown overtakes him… the tension rising as time stands still. Finally, his hand loses hold, his eyes widen and the scene slows down as he begins to fall; death seemingly inevitable. Miraculously at the last second, an outstretched hand appears from above and grabs hold of his; pulling him to safety.

We’ve all seen this iconic scene on the big screen; it is the precise moment a life is saved and a hero is born.
Naturally, we all want to be that hero; to be the one who comes through just in the nick of time to save a life… and surely we can be. This is the deep desire and purpose of all men; to protect, serve and save those in need.

Yet, before we can ever be the hero, we must first accept and receive rescue ourselves.

Whether we want to admit it or not, we have all been that man who is dangling by a thread, about to lose his grip; desperate to feel an outstretched hand connect with ours and pull us to safety… Perhaps we even find ourselves in this place today. This is a tough, but unavoidable position to be in if we are ever to become the hero of our story.

For it is only through our own rescue that we can fully comprehend the desperate need we and all men have; A need for support and salvation. A need that simply cannot be understood until we are sitting up on a solid foundation, catching our breath and looking back down. It is only then that we truly recognize what a bad spot we were in, and the debt we owe to our Rescuer.

He saved us from descent into a bottomless pit; taking us from fear neverending to hope everlasting.

As Psalm 40:2-6 says ‘He lifted me from the pit of destruction; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.’

Through this life-giving experience, we are compelled to reach out to others who are in need as we were. We act like a link in a chain; gripping the hand of our Rescuer above and extending our reach to those below.

And while many may seem to ignore or deny the reach, we know there will come a time when like us, they will call for rescue. Until then, we must patiently wait within reach, linked arm in arm to our anchor; available to extend the chain at a moments notice.

Because we know that when all seems lost…

Redemption is only a grasp away and no matter the effort, time or sacrifice required, a life saved is worth it.