The Rope

Hebrews 6:18-19 – So that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain. (ESV)

My wife Caroline recently reminded me of a story given to her by her dad, Kirk, when she was visiting him in the hospital. It was about one of the other patients who was in the same ward and how he had come to be there.

Apparently, the man had wanted to fix something on the roof on the back side of his house. So, to be safe, he tied one end of a rope to the tow hitch of the car in the driveway on the other side of the house. Thus secured, he made his way up the roof, playing out the rope as he went upwards.

In the middle of fixing the roof, unknowingly, his wife went out to the car to go shopping and proceeded to move the car down the drive, pulling the man over the roof apex and so onwards down to the ground, causing multiple injuries. Hence, his arrival in the ward.

As it turns out, this little vignette has all the stuff of an urban legend. Maybe it was the truth because it was over forty years ago, or maybe it was just a nice story that he told to help lift the mood of his young teenage daughter, now my wife, when he knew that it was upsetting for her to see her dad spend months in hospital. Sometime later, Kirk became a Christian as he followed his daughter's example.

The important thing is what is illustrated and contained in the story itself: be careful what you tie yourself to or what you have confidence in and set your store on in life.

Luke 6:47-48 – Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. (ESV)

Jesus is our only sure foundation.

Prayer: Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayers today. We bring before You all of those we know who are unwell and suffering. Meet them in their need, and bring them Your healing balm and peaceful presence. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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