I enjoyed riding four-wheelers when I was a kid. I was never one to pull stunts or things of that nature, because the terrain and bumps in the land were fun enough for me. However, when I was much younger than I am now, I was told to “hold on tight.” That meant I had to put my hands around the midsection of whoever was driving the machine. As I got older, that grip loosened. After some time, I would grip the back bars. Now, if I am not driving myself or someone else, I don’t hang on to anything because there isn’t really a need for speed.
The first time I can remember being a little “too big for my britches” was when my uncle and I were riding on the four-wheeler and as we got within sight of the house, we sped up (most likely because we were hungry). As we made the final turn to pull in the yard, I fell off the four-wheeler and rolled to a stop. I thought I was thrown off intentionally because I was greeted by a grinning man who asked if I was okay. I was fine, but had a bruised ego, damaged pride, and a lesson learned.
That famous Nike campaign for Bo Jackson said it best, “You don’t know diddly.” I too, “don’t know diddly.” I had grown comfortable in relying on myself and keeping myself going.
As Christians, I believe we hold on to stuff that does not matter. Then, when a rough patch comes through, we get thrown to the ground. That leads me to ask you a question, “Who moved?” Who moved their arms gradually away from the surety of Christ Jesus? In Deuteronomy 31:6 we read that the Lord will never leave nor forsake us. “Us” in context is Israel in the promise of reaching Canaan’s land. We can find comfort in knowing that as children of God, we too know that the Lord will never leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13:5). We ought to hold on tightly to the Lord so the rough patches do not throw us off.
Logan Baldwin