Keep on a Short Rope

Nº 143

KEEP ON A SHORT ROPE

weekly devotions to refresh your soul by Dr. Dan Bolin - April 27, 2021

“There have been some hard things in my life, of course, as there have been in yours, and I cannot say to you, I know exactly what you’re going through. But I can say that I know the One who knows. And I’ve come to see that it’s through the deepest suffering that God has taught me the deepest lessons. And if we’ll trust Him for it, we can come through to the unshakable assurance that He’s in charge. He has a loving purpose. And He can transform something terrible into something wonderful. Suffering is never for nothing.” - Elisabeth Elliot

Tetherball is an odd game. A short rope connects a ball to a pole. Most of the time the ball rests gently against the pole, but then the game gets confusing and painful. Opponents whack the ball in all directions; it spins relentlessly, taking hits over and over. Faster and faster it whirls until finally, the ball winds tightly back against the pole. No matter how many blows the ball takes, the rope never allows it to get too far from the pole. Every turn, no matter how frantic, actually draws the ball closer to home. Maybe no one has been battered as mercilessly as Job. His immense fortune destroyed, his 10 children killed, his wife ridiculed him, and his friends criticized him. And through it all, Job stayed tethered to God – the only hope he had. He said, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him.” (Job 13:15a) Don’t allow the pounding of this life untether you from the one true source of stability and hope. When you stay connected to God, every traumatic hit will only draw you nearer to Him.

Dan Bolin President Refueling in Flight Ministries, Inc