We had only driven about a mile when my wife noticed a tiny spider clinging to a strand of web that was connected to the passenger side mirror. There he was in a forty mile an hour wind holding on for dear life. Nothing would do except we had to pull over while my wife rolled down her window and helped the little guy back into the safety of the case that holds the mirror. Only then could we proceed. I was fascinated because my wife really dislikes spiders.
At first I wanted to compare this to God and us. Romans 5:10, “If, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” But then I realized it was not a good analogy. God loves us despite our sins. Our sins He definitely hates. But He does not see us and our sins as one in the same. In His Fatherly care He is able to separate us from our behavior. That in itself is amazing. It is the spider itself my wife dislikes even though she actually understands their presence makes our home a better place. They catch and eat all kinds of flying, biting, stinging things.
So why was she so concerned about the little guy clinging in the wind? Perhaps she admired its tenacity. It certainly wasn’t giving up. All it needed for survival was a break. It needed someone to intervene. And so we did. Often times it is that way with us. Times get tough and we hang on for dear life hoping for a break. When it comes to our eternal future we got the biggest break anyone could imagine. God intervened and we are saved. Amazing.
Written by Roger Bothwell on August 29, 2011
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org