Holding On

If you’re feeling like you’re “at the end of your rope,” then you’re right where God wants you. The problem is that we tend to hold onto the rope . . . when we should be grabbing hold of our faith in God. So, holding onto God, trusting Him, means “letting go.” Don’t believe me? Here’s an example:


There was a mountain climber who desperately wanted to conquer the Aconcagua and began climbing it after years of preparation. But, he wanted the glory to himself, so he went up alone. He started climbing and it became later and later. He didn’t prepare for camping, so he decided to keep going. Soon it grew very dark . . .

Night fell with heaviness at a very high altitude. Visibility was zero. Everything was black. There was no moon, and the stars were covered by clouds. As he was climbing a ridge at about 100 meters from the top, he slipped and fell. Falling rapidly, he could only see blotches of darkness that passed. He felt a terrible sensation of being sucked in by gravity.

He kept falling . . . and in those anguishing moments, good and bad memories passed through his mind. He thought certainly he would die. But then he felt a jolt that almost tore him in half. YES!! Like any good mountain climber he had staked himself with a long rope tied to his waist.

In those moments of stillness, suspended in the air, he had no other choice but to shout,


“HELP ME GOD! HELP ME”

God replied,
“Do you REALLY think that I can save you?”
 "OF COURSE, MY GOD!”

“Then let go of the rope
that is holding you up,”
God said.

There was another moment of silence and stillness.
The man gripped the rope even tighter.

The rescue team says that the next day they found,
a frozen mountain climber . . .
hanging strongly to a rope . . .
TWO FEET OFF THE GROUND.
(author unknown)


Chances are, in life, you’re either in a valley and headed to a mountain, or you’re climbing a mountain. We spend very little time on the mountaintops. (God doesn’t want us spending too much time there . . . we could get easily attached and decide to end our journey there.) It’s along our journey that we realize we haven’t prepared for the unexpected circumstances that we find ourselves in. We can find the ground beneath us pulled and the air within us knocked out. We didn’t expect to lose a job. We didn’t expect our home to be foreclosed upon. We didn’t expect our business to go under. We didn’t expect our spouse to leave. We didn’t expect our child to end up in jail. We didn’t expect to be betrayed by a dear friend. We didn’t expect death to take our loved one so early. But, in life, we can expect the unexpected. We can expect, at some point, we’re going to be hanging by a rope . . . and then, one day, find ourselves at the end of it. But, it’s as we’re hanging on for dear life that God is telling us to
“let go.”

You see, God knows you’ll fall. But, He knows He’s there to catch you . . . and your faith assures you He will. He wants us to let go of our pride that keeps us from seeking Him. He wants us to let go of the jealousy that keeps us striving for things of this world that only bring disappointment. He wants us to let go of finding our strength in people and things, hopes and desires, so that we might find our strength in Him alone.

When you’re at the end of your rope, ask yourself a few questions:

Do I trust God fully or does my faith waver?
Are His thoughts toward me good thoughts?
Will He reward me for diligently seeking Him?
Is He more willing to give to me than I am to receive?
Did He say He would supply all my needs at all times?
Did he say he would keep me from falling and present me faultless
before the Father’s throne?
Did Jesus say he would never leave me,
but would be with me to the end?

Your faith knows the answers. It’s time to let go of your fears by grabbing hold of your faith. It’s time to hold on . . . by letting go. It’s time to cast yourself completely on the Promises of God. Give God the opportunity to show you His faithfulness, peaceful presence, and unlimited power . . . by letting go of the rope. Loosen your grip on the things of this world and allow God to embrace you with His grace. It’s up to you . . . to just “let go.”