KNOTS IN THE ROPE OF LIFE

Have you ever heard the expression - "Tie a knot and hang on."? It speaks of a desperate last attempt to endure. I have come to that point many times in my life. The catch is - what is the knot made out of? Is the knot made from your weaving of the rope; your attempt(s) to create peace, forgiveness, health or whatever? Or is the knot made from God's promises for you found in His Word? It is o.k. to be still (tie the knot), just rely on your knowledge of Him to form your knot (strands of His faithfulness). "Be still and know that I am God." - Psalm 46:10

When Jesus was here on earth, there were several times when a person and/or people desperately tried to grab a hold of Him and hang on. Matthew 9:20 records the woman with the issue of blood reaching out in faith for her condition - "Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak." Here was this woman activating her faith in Jesus as the healer of her condition by literally and spiritually grabbing a hold of Christ.

Five chapters later, in Matthew 14:35-36 there is an event documented of people desiring and receiving the opportunity to touch The Master's Garment - "And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed." If word was sent to "all the surrounding country" that Jesus was in the area and to bring the sick to Him, the impression is there must have been a lot of sick. And all they did was "just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed."

The final example I'll share is cited in John 20:17 when Mary Magdalene realized it was the risen Christ Jesus speaking with her - Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” If I was there with Mary, I would want to give my Lord a bear-hug too - maybe after bowing at His feet first.

The Good News for me is Christ Jesus is, among many other things, my knot. His strands of faithfulness prove each time that the knot will hold. And now as I  look ahead to the future and climb up the rope of life, I find it is easier to allow Godly Knots in my life as a hand-hold and/or next goal to attain. Paul, in his letter to the believers in Philippi said, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." (Philippians 3:12) Jesus has loved me so much that He conquered all. Now He encourages me to possess the benefits (plural) He paid for - "to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." - to view, rely and take hold of Christ as my Knots In The Rope Of Life.