Exercising Our Faith

06/05/22 – 06/11/22

The Rope of Life

By Michael Youssef, Ph D.  06/10/22

An ancient monastery sits on top of a cliff in the beautiful countryside of Portugal. Visitors to this lofty retreat are rewarded with a magnificent view. However, the only way to reach the monastery is by being hoisted up a cliff in a wicker basket by an aged monk.

One day, as a visitor prepared to leave, he turned to his guide and asked nervously, “How often do you replace this rope?” The gray-haired monk chimed, “Each time the old rope breaks.”

Many times, this is exactly how we live. We push and shove our way through each day, worrying when the rope of life will break. Fear, doubt, and worry can paralyze us. We may mistakenly think only non-believers live this way. However, many Christians are living the same way.

Here is the wondrous Truth of God: He holds the rope of our lives within His infinite, loving grasp. Nothing is strong enough to remove His shelter of protection from our lives. He knows our every move, and He is constantly aware of our deepest needs.

Jesus reminds us that not even one sparrow falls to the ground apart from God’s knowledge and will. “[E]ven the very hairs of your head are all numbered,” says Jesus. “So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:30-31).

The next time you sense your anxiety level rising, stop and remember that God is aware of you. He loves you, and nothing can change this. You can trust Him fully. He holds the rope of your earthly life in His infinite hands, and nothing can break it.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You have a wonderful plan for all my days. I lay my fear and anxiety down before You and receive Your peace today. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“[D]o not worry about your life, . . . Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26).