The Slide
The Slide
“Everybody wants a miracle; but no one wants to be in a position that necessitates a miracle.“
– Pastor Matty Finlay
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question.
If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king.
But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”
– Daniel 3:16-18 HCSB
Back in my childhood (and even sometimes in college), my friends and I would try to sprint up the wrong way of a giant slide to see who could go the highest up the slide before finally slipping or running out of strength and sliding back down the slide (backwards) on our stomachs… until we would finally land on our backsides in the playground dirt at the foot of the slide.
Sometimes that backward slide was fast and furious. And sometimes it was a slow fade, a slow drift downward.
And we would try again and again ending the same way most every time. Rarely making it to the top. Never actually taking it step by step up the ladder to the apex of the playground slide.
That slide is now an example of the faith struggle that many of us battle.
That slide, that slow drift, is what Paul is talking about in today’s passage in Hebrews.
So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.”
– Hebrews 2:1-4 NLT
Usually when we wake and realize we have fallen or slid away from our faith, it’s not because of one big choice to turn our backs and walk away from Jesus. It’s usually a number of small choices. A number of moments when we chose our way instead of God’s way. A number of times when we thought about praying but didn’t. Wanted to read the Word, but time slipped away.
Then the next thing we know, we’re a million miles away from the Lord. Drifted away from the One who gave us salvation, forgiveness, grace, mercy. Sliding away from the One we love… away from the One who first loved us.
My prayer for us is that we can be like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and stand strong in our faith and our commitment to the Lord no matter the consequences. And not slide away when the rest of our world is bowing down to the golden image.
And if we are on that slide, my prayer is that we stop, take a moment, and reconnect. Reconnect with Jesus, the friend who did for us what no other could or would. A friend like no other.
Let’s stop the slide and purposely choose Jesus. His ways. His direction. His love.
“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.”
– Revelation 2:4-5 NKJV