F
OR A MOMENT, imagine yourself
as a trapeze artist. You grasp the
trapeze bar, kick off of the platform,
ARE YOU
Why would a flyer try to catch the
catcher? One reason—lack of trust, doubt-
ing that the catcher will be there to catch
and swing out into space. You
maneuver into position, hanging from
the bar by your knees and legs. You swing
TRYING
him. Even thought the catcher has caught
him during past performances, the flyer
still can doubt.
back and forth, gaining momentum as
you go higher and higher, dozens of feet
TO CATCH
We sometimes are like a doubting tra-
peze flyer in our relationship with God.
above the ground. Then, at precisely the
right instant, you release from the bar and
fly into the air, totally unconnected to
GOD?
He promises to be faithful to our needs.
He assures us He will “catch us” when we
need to be caught, we only have to trust.
anything and anyone. But you know it’s
by Richard J. Bauman
But instead of trusting and just letting
only for a couple of seconds, because you Him do it, we try to manipulate ourselves
trust your catcher will be at the right place into catching Him.
at just the right moment to catch you. Catching God doesn’t work, however.
Do you trust God? Is your trust unlim- Instead, we must do our part faithfully,
ited? Do you trust Him as much as a tra- trusting we will be caught. We must
peze flyer trusts his catcher? never doubt that, at precisely the right
A successful trapeze act depends on trust moment, God’s strong hands will grip us
between the flyer and the catcher. That he knows his catcher has the strength and even though we never see Him. All we
doesn’t mean the flyer never feels fear. He ability to hold him through the rest of the have to do is fly toward God and let Him
can’t stop the inborn fear of falling. But the routine, until the flyer can return to his tra- catch us . . . every time.
successful flyer doesn’t yield to it. peze bar, or drop safely to the net below.
Did you know there’s an unwritten Even if the flyer could look for the Richard J. Bauman is author of the book
rule that the flyer cannot, must not, look catcher, they would be working at odds Awe-Full Moments: Spirituality in the
for the catcher? Instead, the flyer must with one another. Instead of making it Commonplace, which is available through
focus on a spot high above him so as easier to be caught, the flyer would actu- all traditional bookstores and online book-
to reach maximum height in flight. At ally make it more difficult for the catcher. sellers. He lives in West Covina, California.
the apex of flight, the flyer’s arms are
outstretched, ready to be caught. As the
flyer starts falling toward the ground he is
still looking up and waiting, trusting the
THE KEYS TO ETERNAL LIFE
catcher will catch him.
CHRIST paid for our salvation with His death on the cross, but for us to accept
Why can’t the flyer look for the
this gift is as simple as using these keys to unlock the door:
catcher to make sure he flies right into
the catcher’s grasp? Simply put, because
Acknowledge you have sinned.
it isn’t the flyer’s job. The flyer’s respon-
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth
sibility is to fly and precisely perform all
is not in us” (1 John 1:8).* “For all have sinned and fall short of the
of his maneuvers. The catcher’s job is to
glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
precisely catch him.
The catcher watches the flyer through-
out the routine, but the flyer can’t fly
Believe in Jesus.
high as he needs to and look for the
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). “For
catcher at the same time. Not only that,
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that who-
ever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
when tricks are complicated and the flyer
is tumbling, twisting and somersaulting
through the air, he has no time to look
Confess and renounce your sin.
for the catcher. When he exits the trick,
“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your
he’s stretched out and ready to be caught.
heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans
Besides, the flyer doesn’t need to see
10:9). “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us
his partner. He knows the catcher will be in
our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
exactly the right place at exactly the right *Scriptures are from the New International Version.
instant to snatch him out of the air. And
EVANGEL • JAN 2010 27
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32