Finding a secure grip

Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD…is the everlasting Rock (Isaiah 26:4).

A ‘human fly’ is a man or woman who climbs skyscrapers with little in the way of safety measures. Andrew Corey was a human fly. On April 23rd, 1921, he set out to climb the New Howard Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland. The stunt was put on as a fund-raiser for an orphanage.

Corey had no trouble climbing up to the sixth floor. But then, as thousands of spectators watched, he reached for what looked like a gray piece of stone near a cornice. He gambled his life on that handhold, but as he shifted his weight, the crowd was horrified to see him unexpectedly fall to his death. When they examined the body, they found a spider’s web clutched beneath his fingers. What had looked solid and dependable had been a deception—a deception that cost the human fly his very life.

People depend on all kinds of things, but sooner or later that trust proves to be misplaced. Things that look as if they offer security turn out to be nothing but a flimsy illusion. Some invest their money for retirement, only to see those dollars disappear because of financial instability or criminal misconduct. Others plan their future around their families, only to see those plans ruined by divorce or the unexpected death of a loved one. Some invest their lives in a career, only to find themselves lost when their skills are no longer needed in the marketplace. Others don’t know what to do when age steals their looks and saps their bodies of strength.

Jesus said, Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal (Matthew 6:19-20). Life is a serious matter—don’t gamble it on things that only offer the illusion of security. Jesus is our Rock, a firm foundation, a secure anchorage. His words are truth that you can hang on to when everything else is a web of lies. His promises offer security in a world where no one can be depended on to always keep his word. Jesus is the one companion who will never leave you or turn His back on you. In a world of illusion and betrayal, Jesus is the only person you can truly depend on; cling to Him, and you will be safe.