Save Me! I’m Drowning!
Good News – May 2009 – Grace & Truth Magazine
Save Me! I’m Drowning!
There is nothing we can do to save ourselves.
It was a beautiful day, and Philip couldn’t have been happier. He was sitting at the end of a pier that jutted out into the ocean, with his favorite fishing pole in hand and the sun on his back. It was great to be there enjoying life with all sorts of ideas for his family’s future rolling through his mind.
Suddenly there was a solid hit on his line – a big fish was hooked! With his heart thumping, he began to reel in the biggest fish he had ever caught. The struggle went on for about five minutes until the fish was just below him. When he leaned over to get a good look at this catch, he slipped and fell head-first into the water.
Philip wasn’t much of a swimmer even when dressed for it, but with his jacket and boots on he couldn’t stay afloat and began to struggle for air and for his life. He surfaced and yelled, “Help! Save me!” Another fisherman grabbed a life-preserver hanging on a post and threw it out to him while holding the rope.
When Philip was pulled from the water to safety, he really thanked the other fisherman for saving him. He was so grateful he even offered him money, which the friendly fisherman refused.
This story reminded me of another man named Peter who got into deep water, way over his head. He and his fellow disciples were caught in a sudden storm while rowing their boat across a lake. Suddenly Jesus came toward them walking on the water. Peter called out, “Lord, if it’s You ... tell me to come to You on the water” (Mt. 14:25-33 NIV).
When Jesus said, “Come,” Peter got out of the boat and began walking toward Him. Suddenly he realized what he was doing, and taking his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink into the storm-tossed Lake Galilee. When he shouted out those three words, “Lord save me!” the Lord reached out, lifted Peter up and walked arm-in-arm back to the boat. Peter’s response was not only gratefulness, but also worship of his Savior.
If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior you are in a worse predicament than the drowning fisherman. The Bible says that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It also says that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 3:23; 6:23). In other words, everyone is sinking in the sea or pit of sin that leads to judgment and eternal death, and we are totally incapable of saving ourselves.
We all need a Savior! We all need someone to reach out to us. And God did that when He sent His Son into the world to make our salvation possible (Jn. 3:16). Jesus died on Calvary’s cross and saved us from drowning in our sins.
There is nothing we can do to save ourselves except to take hold of our “Life-Saver.” In other words, to be saved, we need to accept God’s offer of salvation, and thank the One who gave His life to save us. “It was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed ... but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Pet. 1:18-19).
When you accept the salvation Jesus offers, you will be able to say, “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God” (Ps. 40:2-3). We can tell you how.
By Ian Taylor