Pulled up by Grace
Well, land sakes, friend. What a blessin’ it is to see you wanderin’ up to this ol’ front porch today. Go on and pull up a chair and settle yourself in like you are expectin’ the Lord to tuck somethin’ real good right on into your heart maybe even a truth that might git to driftin’ in gentle as a mercy. The breeze is siftin’ through these ol’ pecan branches like it’s plum conductin’ a slow Sunday inventory, and a bold lil’ ol’ chipmunk keeps dartin’ back and forth tryin’ to convince a thick‑skinned turtle that the sunniest patch of ground is meant for critters that actually enjoy movin’ more than once every fifteen minutes. Watchin’ that whole exchange reminded me of Matthew 14:31. “And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him.” That there verse is God’s way of sayin’, “I see you sinkin’, friend, and I know exactly how to pull you back up before the trouble ever gets the upper hand.”
Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” That there means He’s not too far off. He’s not distracted either. He’s not waitin’ for you to holler a whole lot louder. He;s already reachin’.
You know, folks git to fallin’ into deep water in all sorts of ways. Some git to plum drownin’ in debt. Some git to drownin’ in sorrow. Some git to drownin’ in sin that keeps draggin’ ‘em under like a stubborn ol’ catfish that plum refuses to let go of the fishin’ line. When Peter started sinkin’, Jesus didn’t give him a lecture. He gave him a hand. And later, in Acts 3:7-8, Peter stretched out his own hand to a lame man, pulled him to his feet, and watched him walk and leap and praise God like he had springs in his shoes.
That’s sho’-nuff how this whole thing works. The Jesus who pulled Peter out of the waves also empowers us to pull others out of their bad places. We just ain’t been called to stand on the shore and holler instructions. We’re plum called to wade in, grab hold, and lift. Philippians 2:4 says, “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” That there’s the Holy Spirit nudgin’ us to notice the sinkin’ folks around us.
Billy Graham once said, ”We are called to bring the water of life for both soul and body.” That there means we don’t just pray for folks. We plum help ‘em. We plum show up. We reach out. We pull ‘em up.
Father, open my eyes to the people sinkin’ around me. Give me courage to reach out, strength to lift, and compassion to love like Jesus does. Let Your Spirit guide my hands and my heart today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Alright then, friend, you gotta press this truth right on down into your heart the way a wise ol’ tortoise settles into the cool shade when the heat starts bearin’ down on him. The Lord didn’t just pull you out of deep water. He set you on solid ground, so you could help steady someone else whose knees are bucklin’. He lifted you the way a strong river current lifts a fallen leaf and carries it toward safer banks, and now He invites you to lift others with that same gentle strength. You were caught by grace, so you could become a steady hand for folks who feel like life is slippin’ right out from under ‘em. So, step forward today with your eyes open wide and your spirit plum awake. The very same Jesus who reached for Peter is still reachin’, still savin’, and still usin’ everyday folks like you and me to carry His rescue into places only feet like ours can walk.
With joy,
Gwen
