It should have been an idyllic day for three-year-old Liam McCall, as he
rode his bike in Frazier Park, Charlotte, North Carolina.
It
should have been, but it wasn't.
As McCall was riding, a man
walked past the child, turned around, and snatched him around the waist.
The boy's mother, who was nearby, immediately grabbed hold of her boy
and began a tug-of-war for the child. The man was heavier and bigger.
Camilla, the mother, was strengthened by adrenalin and a mother's love.
She said to herself, "I've got to hold on to him as tight as I can."
She did. She won and the man, who had been arrested more than 103
times in the past, was captured and put behind bars.
I like that
story for a number of reasons. First, because, motivated by love, the
good guys won, and a terrible tragedy was averted.
The second
reason I like that story is because, in many ways, it is our story.
You see, a long time ago, a demonic character, a fellow with a
proven track record of wrongdoing, stole us away from our Heavenly
Father. We, the kidnapped, didn't have the power to escape. On our own
we were lost ... dead.
But our kidnapper hadn't counted on God's
love. In less time than it takes to tell, the Lord decided He would do
His best to save us. For that purpose Jesus was born in Bethlehem. His
entire life was spent in a tug-of-war with Satan; only this was not a
game. It ended with Jesus dying on a Jerusalem cross.
Well, it
almost ended with Jesus dying on a cross. Three days after He had been
murdered, a living Christ appeared to the world and showed to all that
the kidnapper's hold on kidnapped humanity had been broken. From then
on, all who believed on Jesus as Savior were saved. That is why Jesus
was able to promise that no one is able to snatch us out of the Father's
hand.
That is also why Lutheran Hour Ministries, along with much
of Christianity, is dedicated to telling the world, "The kidnapper has
lost; your Savior has arrived. Repent, believe, and be secure in the
Father's love."
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, because of our rebellion,
humanity should have been lost for all eternity. I give thanks that You,
in the Person of Your Son, did that which was necessary so that we might
be saved and safe. May my life be a witness of thanks and sharing for
the wonderful things You have done. This I ask in the Savior's Name.
Amen.
Pastor Ken Klaus
Lutheran Hour Ministries All rights reserved;
not to be duplicated without permission.
