Wednesday, 11 June 2008

• The parable of the river and the rope

  
  In the deep countryside, sometimes there are places where people need to cross rivers where a bridge has not been built yet. 
  
  These places are usually places of relatively shallow water, with outcroppings of rocks for people to step on as they make their way across the river.  Water rushes over the rocks in places; and when people step on those rocks, or step into the spaces between the rocks, they lose their balance and fall into the river.  Sometimes, they just fall down, but sometimes they get swept away and drown.  So they use the rope that stretches from one side of the river to the other, to hold onto as they cross the river. 
  
  Because even if the currents cause them to slip and fall, they have the rope to hold onto, to keep them from being swept away.
  
  In this way, life is like a river. 
  
  As we cross this river, we make our way by means of stepping on the rocks, which are like people and the things of the world.  The dangerous current is Satan.  The rope, is Christ.  Satan comes and washes over the rocks that we walk on to cause us to stumble.  If we put our faith in our own balance, we will slip and fall.  If we put our faith in the rocks themselves to support us and keep us steady, we will slip and fall.  But if Satan comes while we are holding onto the rope of Christ, however, the current does nothing to us. 
  
  Maybe it occasionally makes us slip and lose our balance for a moment, but otherwise because we are clinging to the rope, we who cross the river of life reliant on the rope, are sure to cross safely.  When crossing the dangerous current, Satan, who engages us daily; we cannot rely on our own abilities and we cannot even rely on our friends, family, or even our church.  The one and only salvation and the one and only means to cross the river safely is by holding onto Christ Himself.
  
  
  
  
  

  • 9:27 AM
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