As I watched a crew of tree trimmers pruning the trees in my yard, there was one designated man whose job it was to place ropes securely around himself and climb into the inner portion of the tree to trim the branches that were high and unreachable to the other crew members. Without a doubt, this man–I feel sure—had been meticulously trained on how to use the saws and climbing gear properly.

I held my breath as this man stood on the tree limbs—convinced some would be too weak to hold him.

But then, I froze when I saw him slip a few feet down the limb. Only I WAS FEARFUL. He was not. He was confident because he had ropes holding him securely fastened in case of a fall.

He trusted in the ropes.

Watching him, I was reminded how many times we slip in our Christian walk, i.e. gossip, jealousy, critical spirit, and more.

But we have a God who, just like the ropes, holds us securely in place.

However, first, we must trust Christ to be assured of His full protection.

We do that by believing in Jesus Christ.

Then, we can lean on Him, securely aware He is our protector, and that He holds us securely in His arms.

In the Bible, ropes were used both for positive and negative purposes. On the positive side, ropes were used for . . .

1. Support

After they had hoisted it up, they used supporting cables in undergirding the ship; and fearing that they might run aground on the shallows of Syrtis, they let down the sea anchor and in this way let themselves be driven along. (Acts 27:17)

2. An escape

So, Michal let David down through a window, and he went out and fled and escaped. (1 Samuel 19:12)

3. A reminder of God’s commandments

You shall, therefore, impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. (Deuteronomy 11:18)

Let us choose today to allow God’s “ropes” to give us His confidence during our times of need!

God Bless,