Lifeline

… that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them. (Deuteronomy 30:20)

When I was in middle school I remember one particular assignment in gym class. It was rope climbing. We were to climb these large ropes, touch the beam they were attached to and then slide down. The reason I recall it so vividly is not the tedious climb up, but the blistering slide down. I loosened my grip as I slid down and the rope burned into my palms. It was an extremely painful experience.
Sometimes when we loosen our grip on God, we are burned with fiery trials. When we begin to stray away from our private prayer time, or stop worshipping with God’s people, we are cutting ourselves off from our spiritual support. Alone, we are the enemy’s target. And he will come. We will be burned. When we realize our isolation, we recognize our need for God. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. Cut off from God, we are cut off from life. It is by God’s grace that I can return to Him, and hold on tighter than ever. Moses told the children of Israel that God was not just part of life, He was their life. It’s a good word for us today.

I. MY LIFELINE IS MY PRAYER LINE. Unless I am communicating with God, I am cut off from my life support. He is the one who sustains me. He is my sole means of support. He is the only one who knows my need before I do. I must train myself to listen in order to obey.
II. MY LIFELINE IS MY LOVE LINE. When I pray to the Lord, I am connected to Him. He is my love connection. His love is the love of my life. He not only gives me life, sustains my life, preserves my life, but He is my life. Love is my life. As I learn to live for God, I learn to live for love, for He is love.
IV. THE LIFELINE KEEPS ME SECURELY ATTACHED TO GOD. I am desperate to remain attached to God. It’s like the sailor lashing himself to the ship in the midst of the storm. We must not only love Him, we must cling to Him, wrapping ourselves around Him, to endure. It is a conscious effort to remain with Him.
III. BECAUSE I LOVE HIM, I TOE THE LINE. Obedience is a sign of love. I obey Him because I know He wants the best for me. When I disobey, I stray away from His standard, the line upon which I must stand. Peace is found when I am obedient to His will.
Are you attached to the Lifeline today? Are you “with Christ”?