Academic Or Personal?

John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

More than 100 years ago, Charles Blondin walked a tight rope strung across the Niagara Gorge, doing many different stunts over a period of several months. One day, as thousands of spectators watched in suspense, the man arrived back safely once again, and an excited crowd sought autographs. Mr. Blondin asked one admiring young man, "Do you think that I could carry a man on my shoulders back across?" "Oh yes!" the young man replied, "You could do anything!" "Very well," replied Mr. Blondin, "will you be the man?"

This is a good analogy of what God offers to do for us humans. The two sides of the gorge are heaven and earth. Human beings can't reach God on their own. But Jesus has come from heaven to rescue us, and take us to His Father. He has conquered the gorge of eternal death by dying on the cross and rising at Easter. We may believe that Jesus defeated death, and that he can save people from death. But when Jesus comes along to us and asks "Will you come with me?" then a purely academic matter becomes an intensely personal question, and we have to decide if Jesus can be trusted to take us to God, and save us from death. Can we put our whole life in his keeping?

Prayer: Lord, help us to make the transition from simply believing in You to trusting You. Amen.