Rock Solid

I remember years ago sitting in a Sunday night service listening to a visiting preacher that my pastor had asked to preach. I don’t remember his name; and it wouldn’t make a bit of difference if I did. He used an illustration that night that I have never forgotten. A great preacher friend of mine that has gone to be with the Lord told me this about illustrations, he said “that illustrations are like windows to help us look in and see God's truths more clearly.” So that is what I hope to do as I remember and share this illustration of long ago.

It was an early cold winter night as a man came upon what appeared to be a frozen river. This man needed to get across but was not sure that it would hold his weight. He found a large piece of wood and placed it in front of him and then he stretched out his body so that his weight would be distributed, by doing this he was hoping that the ice would not break. Slowly and cautiously he inched his way across the ice, praying as he slid the large piece of wood before him. All of a sudden he heard a roar then a terrible crashing sound the ice was breaking up. He shut his eyes and braced himself for the worst but nothing happened! He turned in the direction of the loudest sound and saw a man driving a wagon pulled by a team of horses crossing just below him. The horses galloped past him, up the other bank, and stopped. All of a sudden this man jumped up threw his arms into the air and shouted, “Hallelujah” and ran across the ice to the other side. This man’s fear turned to confidence; his crawling gave way to running; his praying turned to shouts of joy. What was once a weak belief that the ice couldn’t hold him was transformed into a confident assurance that it would hold him! Here we have two men one is crossing with fear and the other is crossing with faith. One is not sure the ice will hold his weight the other is confident that only his weight but also the weight of his wagon and horses will not be too much for the ice. One man was hoping the other man was sure. As we read our Bibles do we believe what we read? Can we know for sure that God is greater than any problem we could ever encounter? Or are we like the man that is spread out on the ice; just hoping but not really sure. God has helped and saved others but can He do the same for me? Read what John has to say:

1John 5:13  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. This is what John was saying "Hey believer! I wrote these things so that you can know that you have eternal life!" My friend the gospel of Christ is not a thin sheet of ice under us but it’s a rock solid substance that we can run, jump and build our lives upon. Are you a fearful crawler or a Confident walker that sometimes leaps for joy! Oh my, only two days before Sunday and we get to go to Church; that’s exciting I’ll see you there.