Daily Wisdom 06-13-2002 When Swimming Cant Help

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When Swimming Cant Help

If you dont know how to swim, its just not cool to let your friends know itand its just no smart not toespecially if youregoing into the lake with them to swim. This is not theory were talking here. Its historymy history. The scene was Lake Michigan. The 10-year-old who couldnt swim was meand I was too proud to tell my friends. Suddenly, as I waded deeper and deeper, I lostmy footing and I began drinking the lake. My friends thought it was funny. They just laughed and said, "Look at Ronnie. Hes such aclown!" I was dying. I had gone under for the second timeand I can almost feel the terror of that moment even now as Im telling youabout it. Now obviously something happened or I wouldnt have lived to tell you about it. I was helpless. I couldnt contribute a thingto my getting back to shore. Thankfully, someone came who couldand that rescuer did it all!

That day in the lake I had only one hopea rescuer. Only one person jumped in to save me, and Im alive because of him.

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from I Timothy 1:3. "God our Saviorwants all men to be savedThere is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all men."Now the saving God is talking about here is from the effects and the punishment for the way weve run our livesactually, becauseweve run our lives when they were supposed to be Gods to run. The Bible makes it clear that were drowning in the guilt of our sininthe death penalty that God attaches to sin.

And God says that when you and I were drowning spiritually, His own Son Jesus jumped in to rescue us. He loved you so muchthat He couldnt stand to lose you. In Gods words, "He gave Himself a ransom." That means paying the price to get you back. ForJesus, that meant absorbing all the hell and punishment for your sin as He died on that cross.

But you can still go under. You can still drown, if you wont let Jesus rescue you. It may be hard for you to admit that you cantsomehow swim to God on your own. In fact, youve done some very good things to make it to Himbut not good enough to meetGods perfect standard. In Romans 3:10, God includes every person when He says that by His standards, "There is no one righteous,not even one." Not even one. Not even you. Like me that day at the lake, there is nothing you can contribute to your rescue. Your only hope is a savior. And only oneperson jumped in to save youJesus.

All that any religion can offer you is a book of swimming instructionstheir way to swim to God. But it doesnt matter if theyreProtestant swimming instructions or Catholic swimming instructions, or Jewish, or Moslem, or Buddhist, or New Age. Swimminginstructions wont rescue a drowning man or woman. Only the Savior can do that. And only Jesus did the dying it requires to get rid ofyour sin and get you into a relationship with your Creator.

Even now, through these few minutes, Jesus is coming to you, offering to do for you what you could never do for yourselfsaveyou from your sin. All you can do is grab Him as if Hes your only hopeHe is! You cant rescue yourself. Wont you finally put yourpride aside and all the religion and goodness you thought would get you to heaven, and just reach for Jesus? Tell Him right now you aregrabbing Him like a drowning person would grab a lifeguardto be your Savior from your sin.

If you want to begin this life-saving relationship with Jesus Christ, find out more about how a relationship with God can be Yoursfor Life! If you're not sure you belong to Jesus Christ, and you'd like to make sure, check out YOURS FOR LIFE!

The day I was going under, I had only one hopeand that one hope was enough. The rescuer had come. Thats what Jesuswants to be for you, beginning right now. Please, grab your Savior and hold on tight.

Today's Daily Wisdom is written by Ron Hutchcraft, based on his popular radio broadcast,"A Word With You"."A WORD WITH YOU" daily devotionals are now available via e-mail. To subscribe send a blank email to:awordwithyou-subscribe@hutchcraft.com,or to request the "Yours for Life" booklet, fill out the form on this site:http://www.gospelcom.net/rhm/yours/yflorder.html. Ron Hutchcraft Ministries has been on-line with Gospelcom since February, 1996, providingpractical answers to real life issues. (c) 2000 Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.PO Box 400, Harrison AR 72602

When Swimming Cant Help

When Swimming Cant Help