Jesus Held tight

What Did Jesus Do?

“...and no one will snatch them [his sheep] out of my hand.”
John 10.28

Funny how you can keep an idiot, or a sinner (they are very similar, you know), in suspense. It's really not that hard. You just have to let their natural blindness, deafness, and mind closing and heart hardening unbelief have free reign in them. The perpetual state of suspense is where most lost sheep reside. Now, some lost sheep are just that, lost now and forever. Fortunately for others, there are the Good Hands People.

No, I'm not talking about Allstate. I know the Allstate Insurance Company likes to style itself as “The Good Hands People,” but I've seen them “drop the ball” a time or two. No offense, compared to some companies Allstate still gets the “Gold Glove Award.” But, I mean who hasn't made a bobble or two along the way? Well, I know of One. Not one error, dropped pass, fumbled hand-off, or turnover. Ever. When the conversation around the Hot Stove League turns to sure hands, there is no doubt about who is at the top of the list—Jesus, he always held tight. And it is a very good thing he did, otherwise there's no telling what would have happened to us. Actually, there is telling, but it would not be a pleasant tale.

The Bible calls lost sinners “sheep.” By way of confession, I must tell you that I rather think of myself, when I recall all my many evasions and machinations to get away from God, as more of a “greased pig.” Holding on to a wooly sheep is child's play compared to hanging on to an oily porker. I mean, when the bacon gets shakin' you wish the hog had a handle! But Jesus held tight to me. I pray that he's got a firm grip on you too.

You see, the Good Shepherd and his Father invented the “Good Hands Treatment.” Recognizing just how shifty and stubborn and wriggly the lost members of the flock were, Father and Son approached the process of getting them back safely into the fold, and then keeping them there, as a matter of singular, and eternal, importance. Speaking of singular, when it comes to the hands of the Father and the Son, to be held by one is to be held by them both, for they are one. I am certainly thankful that they are! Otherwise, as I said above, the tale of our lives, if the Father and Son did not have us secure in their hands forever, would not be pleasant.

One of our principle jobs as disciples is to pray for and witness to the lost, that they might come close enough to the Lord for Jesus to get his hands on them. Once in his arms, there is no escaping from Christ. And thank God for that! Jesus held, and holds, tight.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4