It was a story of tragedy averted.
No movie could go beyond the drama of the real-life event I was reading about in the newspaper Sunday. A little girl, 5 years old, was missing and presumed dead after her grandfather's body was found in the water where they were swimming. They had been out for the day and she wanted to swim. What grandfather can deny his precious 5-year-old granddaughter a dip in the cool water on a hot summer day?
But as the family members and rescuers gathered and grieved the loss of grandpa, the worst was presumed about the little girl. She was gone too - it was just a matter of time before her body would be found.
Meanwhile, upstream a rescuer saw a young girl, naked, dirty, wandering in the woods. She approached him and asked for food. At first he didn't recognize her. After all, the little girl they were looking for would be found in the water somewhere -- right?
But it WAS her ... and soon tears of sorrow turned to shouts of joy. Mom and dad had no trouble recognizing their baby ... they felt the joy known only by a few, the joy of new life from death.
And that is a picture of our salvation. We were dead in our sins, Paul tells us. Not sinking, but dead. We were naked and hungry for spiritual clothing and food. We may even have been unrecognizable to those whose job was to "rescue" us. Yet our dear Father had no trouble at all knowing who we were ... and He guided us to a safe place every step of the way. We have the joy of new life from death.
Now serving as "rescuers", we must remember this image. Who are you looking to "rescue" today? Pray that God will help you see those coming out death into life -- that we won't miss them even if they appear to us naked and hungry.
And be encouraged that God has been guiding them all the way.
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