“Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved…” - Acts 16:31 (NLT)
I heard a story once about a young man who was fishing beside a river when he lost his balance and fell into the water. He was not a very good swimmer, but he found a log to hold onto. The wood barely kept him afloat, but still, he held on for dear life.
Suddenly, the man heard the roar of water and saw mist rising from what appeared to be a looming waterfall. Right before he reached the edge, someone on the bank of the river threw him a rope. As he drifted toward the falls, the man was now faced with two options.
He could hold tightly to his flimsy log and go over the falls to certain destruction, or he could let go of the trunk, grab the rope and be pulled to safety.
In much the same way, we are faced with a similar choice as it relates to our relationship with Jesus. We can choose to hold tightly to our old life and hope that we’ll stay afloat, but the reality is that we are headed toward destruction (Proverbs 16:25). The other option is to let go of whatever gives us “false hope” and reach out to Christ, taking Him at His Word and accepting His invitation to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).
I can identify with that man drifting down the river, clinging to that log. My propensity to hold on to what may be comforting, but not necessarily best, for my life has taken me down paths of shame, regret, fear and discouragement. I guess many of us hold on to what we know out of fear or a lack of trust that God will indeed come through for us.
I take great comfort in the fact that God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19, Titus 1:2). What He says goes. His promises are true. And He declares that if we believe in the Lord Jesus, we will be saved. God promises that when we place our faith and trust in Him, freedom and victory will follow.
Whatever you’re holding on to today, release it, and cling to the One who holds your future safely in His hands.
Digging Deeper
- What things in your life are you holding on to that you need to release to Jesus?
- Bring those things to the Lord in prayer and have confidence that He will deliver you.
