Dear Friends

The story is told of a man who fell over the edge of a cliff. Half way down he caught hold of a branch and clung on for dear life.

He prayed “O Lord I have followed you all my life, rescue me please”. After a few minutes someone appeared at the top of the cliff – “I’ll lower a rope down to you”. “Oh no” the victim cried, “God will help me”. Several minutes later on a helicopter appeared in the sky. The winchman shouted out “I’ll lower a ladder down for you”. “Oh no” the victim replied “God will help me”. After what seemed like ages the man could hold on no longer and he fell to his death. When he went through the Pearly Gates he asked “Lord why didn’t you help me”? The Lord then replied “But I did; I sent you a man with a rope and then a helicopter, but each time you refused me”.

This joke which has been around a long time in comedy circles actually conveys a very serious message.

One of the reasons why Jesus condemned the Jews of His generation was because ‘they did not recognise the time of their visitation’ and, because they failed to recognise the hand of God working on them, their nation would suffer judgement.

Many people today are similar in not recognising God’s hand. Often individuals will ask me “Why doesn’t God help me”, or “Why doesn’t God guide me”, or “Why doesn’t God reveal Himself to me by giving me some sort of religious experience”? The reality is that God is only too willing to do all these things, and has already been attempting to do them, but they fail to see it. Like the Jews of 2000 years ago, they fail to recognise the ‘time of their visitation’. I have lost count of the numerous occasions I have called on individuals only to have them say “Oh it’s strange you called today we’ve just had bad news” or “It’s funny you should pop in today, we have an important decision to make”. Often such individuals put my visit down to ‘coincidence’ just like the man on the cliff who was sent the rope and the helicopter. The Hand of Providence works upon us all but so often individuals are so caught up with their own busy lives they fail to see it.

The true incident is told of a family who lived in the fashionable community of Hillsborough, California. One evening in December some carol singers came to their door. The lady of the house answered the door but when she saw it was carol singers she just shouted out, without really looking at the faces “Look here, I’m far too busy, if you really feel like singing carols to me come back at about 9pm OK?” Respectfully Bing Crosby moved his singing troupe along to another house.

So often people are ‘too busy’ to read God’s signs to them, and if not too busy, they want His help on the condition they don’t actually have to obey Him or fall into line with His will. Scripture makes it very plain that God is only too willing to guide, help or provide a religious experience of Himself but individuals need to stop being so busy and read the signs he is sending, and they need to be sincerely willing to obey Him and not simply snatch at any help or comfort on offer. The Christ who brings us comfort is the same Person Who says ‘take up the cross and follow after me’. God is speaking to us all, whether or not we stop and listen to this and read the signs is up to us alone, but let us remember that if we fail to recognise ‘the time of our visitation’, nothing but darkness and trouble will lie ahead.

Your pastor and friend