Have you ever found yourself just hanging on the edge and can't find a way to get off safely? We face many edges in our life and find ourselves just hoping for a hand to reach out and pull us back. I was watching the news the other day and heard the story of a man who had crashed over a guardrail on an overpass of a major highway. His vehicle had jumped the rail and became stuck by its back wheels on the railing. This man had been hanging in the air inside his vehicle for about an hour before the rescue team had arrived. The man had been under heavy influence of alcohol and of course lost his senses way before he crashed his vehicle. The point is he was hanging on an edge of which by his own means could not escape. It was only until someone came along to rescue him that he was saved. Link to video of vehicle hanging on the edge; http://news.yahoo.com/video/firefighters-rescue-oregon-man-dramatic-181016006.html
We as humans make a lot of blundering and stupid mistakes throughout our lives. We think we have all the answers to life's most important issues. We come up with all sorts of reasons for our existence, we question whether there is a creator, we rebel against things that we don't like, we listen to other humans who say they have the answer's to life only to find that they don't have all the answer's. We find ourselves hanging on a cliff's edge not knowing how far down the bottom is, we don't know whether to let go or wait for help. Some of us just stay on the edge because we don't know what to do. I wonder sometimes if we human's are as smart as we think we are. We claim we believe in God, yet we rebel against this God or we claim to believe in some sort of god that we created with our own hands out of our own human minds and believe this man made object is going to answer us and give us hope. Do we really think we have all the answer's? Are we really so into ourselves that we will not even listen to reason?
If we take a good look at ourselves as human's, do we really understand our purpose? Every year we look forward to a day called "Black Friday" to find good deals for our loved ones, or for ourselves. Nothing wrong in trying to save a little money, but do we stop and consider just why we do this. The department stores want our business so they supposedly lower their prices on some things to lure us all into their stores in hopes to make their profits for the entire year. So we like mad animals rush to these places in the name of Christmas to find the best deals. We will even go as far as fighting and brawling with each other over a sale of some item or a place in line. Has our lives come down to acting like starving animals on one day to devour our fellow humans and beat them to the best cut of meat, or should I say sale? Have we so insanely forgotten what this time of year is all about? Do we not know that on this day the Savior was born into this world to redeem us and give us a way back to the Father's Kingdom and His presence (not presents)? How sad we humans have become, we have neglected the very one who came into this world so we can have not only a way back to God, but a "peace that passes all understanding." Philippians 4:7. Have we not turned our backs on the very purpose of why God sent His Son to us?
So what does this have to do with hanging on the edge? Let me share with you for a moment. The human race is headed for a destructive end and is hanging on the edge of a very large chasm and their is no hope for humanity unless someone comes along and saves it. In Matthew 24:3-44 Christ gives a very descriptive outline of what is going to take place just before He returns back to this earth to claim and establish His kingdom here on earth. He tells us what state the human race is going to be in during that time. Some may ask at this point, just who is this Christ anyway? Look at John 3:16-17, there you will find the reason for the Christ coming into this world. It says that "God sent His only son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him." Then the question arises why did he send His Son? The answer is simple, He loved mankind more than anything, man was His creation and He created us for fellowship with Him. God, by sending His Son to us is giving us a chance or choice to come back into His presence by believing in His Son and following His ways.
Mankind, like the man hanging over the edge in his vehicle is hanging by a thin guardrail over a very long drop that will bring destruction to him. But, because God loves mankind, His creation, so much, He has sent the rescuer to reach out His hand so that we can reach up and take it. God, through Jesus Christ will pull anyone up from the edge if we just reach out and take His hand of salvation. So how is this done? Just before Christ laid out what the signs would be before His return He was talking to a man named Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a learned man of the Jewish law and a Jewish leader. In John 3:1-21 Jesus explains to Nicodemus how one becomes a believer or follower of Christ. In John 3:3 Christ says; "I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God." Then in John 3:5 He goes onto to say; "I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit." The world is in turmoil and it seems mankind is surely lost its way, we fight among ourselves, we hold bitterness in our hearts, we don't want to forgive those who have harmed us, we continually turn our backs on the very one who came to pull us back from the edge, yet we scream for someone to come and help. God is reaching out His hand to save us, even while we rebel against Him. Are you one of those who is standing on the edge and can't find anyone to help? Are you one of those who goes through life looking for the best deal and neglect's the warnings of trouble ahead? There are many cliff edges that lie ahead throughout our life, but if we don't listen to the warnings of the destruction that is around the next corner we may find ourselves standing or hanging on one of those edges.
What kind of edge are you facing today? Maybe you are facing a financial crises and don't see any way out, or you are finding yourself in the middle of a family crises whether it be some sort of sickness, marital problems, problems with your loved ones, or you just can't handle life anymore. I want to give you hope at this time, there is a way off the edge, you don't have to face your problems alone. Most people want peace in their lives, but nothing seems to bring it to them, it alludes them and no matter what they try, they just can't find the peace they need. Let me share with you how you can have the same peace that Nicodemus had opportunity to have. Reread John 3:3 again, then talk to God and ask Him for forgiveness of your rebellious nature toward Him. Ask Him to forgive you for all your sins in your life. In order to be born again as Christ told Nicodemus, you must first of all believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God sent by Him to redeem mankind. You see, Jesus Christ gave His life as a sacrifice for us so that we would not have to face judgement by God. Christ stands in our place and takes our punishment. This is what He did on the cross, He shed His blood so that we could have life. Look at John 10:1-18, here he is talking about the good Shepherd and His sheep. Pay attention to the John 3:10 telling us that He came to give life more abundantly. Philippians 4:7 tells us that we can have peace that passes all our understanding through Christ the Lord.
Now I ask you, do you want to continue living on the edge where there is no real peace or any direction that brings you hope of a better life? I would hope that you would want something better, so step back from the edge and take hold of the hand of Christ by asking Him to take over your life and restore you to the place God intended you to be, in His presence. Christ says to everyone, every where, "I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except by me," John 14:6. Like the man hanging on the edge in his vehicle, he had no hope of escape unless someone came along to rescue him from certain death, you must reach out to the hand God is extending to you, His Son Jesus Christ. You can live in turmoil the rest of your days like those in the video, looking for something that will make them happy, a better deal, a moment of satisfaction, only to find that the turmoil is still there, the good deal faded away, the happiness did not last, or you can turn to God's Son and invite Him into your life to take control and give you the peace you have been looking for. Which will it be for you? I highly recommend turning to Christ Jesus and let Him take you away from the edge and bring you into a much better way of life. Why not turn to Him now? Why not allow Him to bring you back into the presence of the Heavenly Father and back into His kingdom? You can keep making excuses, but one day, you may find it to late to cry out for the help you need, don't put it off, Hebrews 9:27-28. He is patiently waiting for your hand to reach up to His, it is your choice.
May God bless you richly while you put your trust in Him.
