Well, it happened…we had an early snowstorm this fall, which unfortunately is not uncommon in this part of the country. It dumped about a foot of snow on us in late October, and I remember looking outside that day, thinking, “Boy, I am not ready for this!” The snow was blowing and whirling so I could barely see our storage shed which is only 50 feet or so from our house.
Because of the wind, the snow drifts were about three to four feet tall or more in places. How do I know this, you ask? Because my dogs ran off the next day and I had to go traipsing over the hill behind our house to call them back. I’m from a family of little people – at 5’3” I am the tallest woman in my family if that gives you any reference, so trudging uphill through waist-high snow was a workout! I was less than pleased with my precious mutts that day.
But back to my story…we live in a very remote area of Eastern Montana. Think big skies and wide-open spaces…which is lovely when it’s 75 degrees and sunny but not so much when the wind and snow are howling across the prairie in October! I remember thinking, as I was “breaking trail” through those huge snow drifts, of stories of the old days when homesteaders first settled in this area. I can’t imagine what it was like to live through this kind of weather back then. It was truly a matter of life and death in those times. When they experienced nasty winter storms, they didn’t get to sit in their cozy central-heated homes with electricity and wait it out, eating pizza and watching movies. They had to go outside in the storm to feed and water their livestock, bring in firewood, and maybe fetch food from root cellars and smokehouses. Just walking outside during a storm was life-threatening because the visibility was often so poor that they could easily get lost between the house and out-buildings and freeze to death.
So, to solve this problem, they would string up a rope between the house and the barn (or the outhouse…think about that for a minute! Brrrrrrrr!!) and hold on to that rope, like a lifeline, as they walked back and forth to keep them from wandering off in the snow. It made me think about how that single strand of rope was all that kept them from dying a horrible death out in the snow, not even 50 feet from the warmth and safety of their homes.
When you think about it, isn’t that a picture of what Jesus Christ does for us in our lives here on Earth? We are living in a fallen world, full of sin and death, and Jesus is the lifeline that we can grab onto, and He leads us back to the safety and security of our Father. It’s a matter of life and death, just like the homesteaders during a storm. If we lose hold of our lifeline, or worse, we don’t even know the lifeline is there, we can fall into sin which leads to death, both spiritual and physical. But, if we know that Jesus is our lifeline and we cling to Him, we have eternal life. Pretty cool, huh!?
I was studying a passage recently in Hebrews, chapter 6 verses 19-20 which says,
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters into the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf” (NIV).
I love the phrase, “anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” Jesus is our hope, and He is our anchor, firm and secure. Those words are reassuring, aren’t they?! The rest of the passage is referring to the tabernacle (Exodus 24-31) in the wilderness which was designed by God and built by His people as His dwelling place here on earth. God instructed Moses to build this tabernacle so He could be with His people:
“Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8, NIV).
The tabernacle tent, which was called the Holy Place, was set up within a designated courtyard. Inside the tent was an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place, which contained the ark of the Testimony and the mercy seat where the presence of God would come down on earth. The Most Holy Place was separated from the rest of the tabernacle tent by a curtain because, at this time in the Old Testament and under the Old Covenant sinful man could not stand directly in the presence of God or he would die.
Thinking back to the verses in Hebrews, it tells us that Jesus is our lifeline who went before us into the inner sanctuary, behind the curtain, giving us direct access to the Father. He is our hope in the form of a lifeline leading us directly into God’s presence.
I can’t help but picture my life in this world like a winter storm, where I can’t see very well, and my life is at risk if I am on my own. The temptations of the world are real and constantly battering me, like the winds in a snowstorm. Those temptations can blind me so I cannot see the path I’m supposed to be on.
But if I reach out and grab that rope, who is Jesus, He will lead me to safety. He will keep me on a direct path to my Holy Father.
As it says in John 14:6, “Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”” (NIV).
I don’t have to die a horrible death outside in the snow.
Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24, NIV).
I want to follow Jesus who will lead me back to my Father’s house, which is safe, warm, and secure.
“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24, NIV, emphasis added).
As I sat in the house watching that whirling snowstorm, it confirmed to me the true gift of my salvation. Alone, I am at risk of losing my way in the blowing snow and could die in the storm. But because I know Jesus I am saved from death and brought into life. Because of Him, I have hope as an anchor for my soul, firm and secure. He has gone before me and will show me the way through the storms life will bring and lead me safely home to my Father’s house. I just need to hold on to the rope.
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