I heard this horrible story. On a warm evening a few summers ago, a boat hit a dock. A dock full of people.
A moment before this happened, they had no idea what was about to hit them. They drank cool drinks, enjoyed the summer breeze off the bay and laughed…until the load of a power boat hit them full force.
The boat flipped over, right onto it all. Right onto their party. Under the falling weight of this boat a five-year-old boy was caught.
He should have died. He should have been crushed. He should have never stood up again from the weight of it all…except, he did.
He got back up. He had a second life, a second chance, a free pass because an Adirondack chair caught the boat’s fall. It held the boat up at just enough of an angle so the boy could survive. He could crawl out.
And, he did. Despite all odds, he lived.
The cross of Jesus Christ is our Adirondack chair. I don’t care what kind of crushing power is coming against you right now. I don’t care how horrible the bills, the arguments, the conflict, the meanness, the stress, the blows are around you – the cross of Jesus Christ, the strength of his sacrifice and the inarguable greatness of his love – saves. It doesn’t save just once.
Over and over again, when life falls with a blow so hard it wants to kill you, Jesus holds things up just enough so you live again. So you walk out, miraculously, unscathed.
Jesus doesn’t save only for eternity; he saves for today. By faith, believe it. Believe in his saving power. It is in you…
“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” (Ro. 8:11)
Thanks to the cross, the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit, we have wiggle room to crawl out from any crushing load that falls on us. There is nothing that can ruin us, ever. Get on your knees again, crawl out, brush them off and know: Because Jesus overcame, you can too.
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Cor. 4:8 NIV)
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Amen, Kelly! Thankful for God’s power living in us! xo
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Powerful words of encouragement today, Kelly. He’s our Adirondack chair. 🙂
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What a completely unique metaphor for Jesus’ willingness to put Himself between ourselves and the crushing weight of our sin! Thank you, Kelly!
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Yes, yes, yes! What a vivid picture of God’s protective covering over us. We may not walk away from everything unscathed. We may not avoid hardship, but He is there covering us every single time!
Kelly, thank you for this encouragement today! It was very much needed. Thank you for hosting us on the link up each week!
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Oh Halleluyah ! There is power in the blood of Jesus, and there is room to crawl out of everything that is pulling us into the deepest sea. Jesus continues to save us till we see Him face to face One day
Blessings
Diana
http://dianasdiaries.com
Much need words of encouragement Kelly. Thank you for sharing. God knew I needed this. Blessings.
I loved your post and it got me all fired up for what is ahead of our family. As long as we anchor to God we will get through. I do however think we do come through many times with battle scars.
I heard a story of a boy on a jet ski, something, more like someone, an angel or the Lord told him to put his hand up, he was badly hurt, but survived. He had hit a wire and could have been decapitated, Jesus was crushed for us, Isaiah 53.
Love the story and analogy, Kelly! What great encouragement too!
Thanks for hosting!
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Preach it Sista! There’s a new fire in your writing and I love it! Praying the confidence of God’s calling empowers you to serve Him with a renewed fervor to do great things.
~Sherry Stahl
xoxo