In His Grip

In His Grip

Dear Champions,

The short excerpt is by Joe Novenson and the scripture is John 10:27-28  My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

Sunday, August 16, 1987, Northwest Airlines Flight 225 crashed outside of Detroit.  One hundred fifty-five people and all of the crew were dead.  The crash was incredible, absolutely decimating the plane.  There was one survivor; a four-year-old girl named Cecilia.  When the airplane investigators found her they thought that it was a fluke-that she was probably a resident.  Maybe the plane landed on her house, and maybe she was in a car nearby.  They checked the registrar, and her name was on the plane.  She was still in the seat-belt, and you would think that should have clued them in.  She was alive, but how?  After she came to and they could interview her, this is her story.  

Her mother, as the plane was falling, disconnected her own seat-belt, got on to the seat with her daughter, jammed both her knees on either side of her four year old daughter's legs, grabbed the back of the chair, and held on.  So when the plane crashed, behind her she had seat and in front of her she had mother.  All of the impact of the crash was assumed by chair and by Mom.  She lived!  Did she live because she was good, tried hard and held on tight? No!  It was because someone grabbed her and held her.  

This is what Jesus did for us.  He took the punishment for us on the cross so that we don't have to take the punishment.  He holds us in the palm of His hands, and no one will snatch us away from Him.

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining