December 10

Rock Climbing

If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31).

Scripture: Romans 8:31-39

Song: “Blessed Assurance”

I’ve always marveled at the way rock climbers deftly scale 10-story vertical surfaces with little more than their bare hands. It’s a dangerous sport, even for seasoned professionals. One wrong move can send a climber plummeting to the ground.

That’s why climbers typically work in pairs. One person ascends while the other, called the belayer, supports the climber from below. The belayer wears a special harness equipped with a braking device. This allows the belayer to “pay out” rope to the climber while keeping tension on the line from below. Should the climber fall, the belayer gently arrests the fall, then safely lowers the climber to an appropriate place from which to resume the ascent.

When I think of God being “for” me, I picture Jesus as my Heavenly belayer, lovingly paying out the grace I need to progress toward the summit of His righteousness. It’s a treacherous climb— one that frequently requires me to reach beyond my comfort zones to move higher. I know that I’m bound to fall along the way, but I also know that my watchful belayer keeps me safe, gently arresting my falls and guiding me back to a secure purchase on the Rock of my salvation.

The Bible says nothing can separate me from God’s love. No failure is so great that it can sever my connection to Jesus. And that gives me the strength to get up and keep climbing.

Jesus, thank You for catching me when I fall. In Your powerful name, amen.

December 10–16. Johnathan Kanais a musician and cultural critic living in central Texas.