Full surrender.

Some time ago, I heard a story about some friends who went swimming in a nearby river. There had been a lot of heavy rain over the previous days, and the river was flowing particularly quickly. However, with what one might refer to as "the bravado of youth", one of the group jumped in. He discovered, too late, how strong the current was and, getting caught in it, he was swept towards a dangerous set of rapids. 

One of his friends, still on the riverbank, was a trained lifeguard, and the others looked to him to do something. However, he just stood there, impassive, merely staring at the young man who was in danger of drowning. The others began to panic, and shout at him to do something to save their friend. Still nothing! They looked out at the river, and saw their friend struggling desperately. 

Suddenly, the struggling stopped. He could no longer fight the water, and he began to drown. When that happened, the lifeguard jumped in and, swimming strongly, reached his friend and brought him safely to the riverbank. With the adrenaline wearing off, the others asked: "Why didn't you jump in earlier? He could have died!"

The lifeguard looked at them and replied: "I had to wait until he had fully given up. Unless he stopped fighting, he would have dragged me under, and we would both have drowned. But the minute he gave up, I knew that I could save him."

That's a bit like us and the Lord Jesus. He just wants us to surrender and, when we do, He comes and gets us! The waves might be crashing over us; the current might be sweeping us away from our usual life; the Covid-19 virus might be all around; but in that moment when it looks as if all is lost, His grace scoops us up, and brings us life. This is not, of course, simply physical life. The big danger from which He is willing to save us is sin. He died that we might be at one with the Father. In Him, and in Him alone, is full salvation. And because we finally give up; because we finally accept that we are incapable of saving ourselves; because we acknowledge His full sufficiency; we know that it was He Who did the saving.

He is our Certainty in uncertain times.