Can you see what you really need?
Welcome to “Word from The Center” MONDAY, a devotional word from the Center of our faith, Jesus Christ, with reflections on His Word. I’m Gregory Seltz. Today’s verse is John 6:40, where Jesus says,
For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.
In our verse for today, Jesus says very bold things. He says that it is the Father’s will that you, me, and everyone who believes in Him as Savior receive eternal life. And if you had any doubts as to the validity of what He is offering, Jesus then says that He even has the power and authority to raise us from the dead on the last day. (Later, His power and authority to say such things is laid out for all to see in the events of the Cross and resurrection). Wow! He soon hears the religious leaders scoff at such promises, and His authority to offer them. They ask, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”(John 6:42). The question for them then, and for us now, is, “Can you see Jesus as your Lord and Savior?” Our very lives depend on it.
There’s a harrowing story in the book, “Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster,” by Jon Krakauer. He recounts an unsuccessful climb of Mt. Everest that endangered and even cost the lives of several climbers. In trying to describe why things went so wrong, he speaks about one of the leaders, Andy Harris. He recounts that Andy Harris stayed at the peak of the mountain in the thin air too long. During his descent he started running out of oxygen. He radioed base camp and told them of his predicament. He told them that he had seen several oxygen canisters that were left behind by others, but he knew that they were used up. He was confident that they were empty. Others who had made it down knew of these cannisters as well, and they were sure that they were full. Harris was told again and again that they were full, but he wouldn’t listen. Krakauer reports,
When we got there, an examination of the oxygen cache revealed right away that there were six full bottles. Harris, however, refused to believe it. He kept insisting that they were all empty, and nothing Groom or I said could convince him otherwise. Right then it should have been obvious that Harris was acting irrationally and had slipped well beyond routine hypoxia, but I was so impeded myself that it simply didn't register. Harris was the invincible guide, there to look after me and the other clients; the thought never entered my own crippled mind that he might in fact be in dire straits. [1]
Everything Harris needed to get home safely was right there around him, but he couldn’t or wouldn’t see it. Amazing. The oxygen he needed was right there all the time. Harris, an expert in climbing, dismissed the solution that would have saved his life. As we think about our text today, we need to be reminded again of the situation that we are in. We are seeking to live this life that we’ve been given. It’s a strenuous one. It is full of challenges, opportunities, and even dangers. No matter our perceived expertise, there is one thing that finally matters for the climb. Like oxygen in thin air, faith in Christ is the sustenance that fuels our hearts, minds, and every cell of our being. Such faith empowers us to fight the good fight and to finish THE race (see 2 Timothy 4:7), to “complete the climb” that we’ve been given faithfully. Can you see what you really need? I pray today that you can, because life in Christ is exhilarating and sure. Amidst the “thin air” of this world, take Him at His Word. You’ll be glad that you did.
PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, life is often very hard and, even at are best, we are often disoriented and unsure. Grace us with Your presence, assure us by Your Word, and lead us in this life unto life everlasting. AMEN.
