I recently heard a story that has continued to resonate in my heart and mind. The story, often told as a joke, is called the Parable of the Drowning Man. The story goes as follows…
Torrential rains came upon a small town. As the rains came down the floods came up. Seeing the water rising, a local man began to call out to God for help. He prayed, “Lord, please save me!” Looking down the road, the man saw a car coming his direction. The car stopped in front of the house and the driver called out, “Sir, the flood waters are rising. I’ve come to rescue you. Jump into the car and I will take you to higher ground.” The man politely declined, saying, “No, thank you. The Lord is going to save me.” So, the car continued on without him.
“No, thank you. The Lord is going to save me.”
As time passed, the water continued to rise, filling the first floor of his house. Stuck in his upstairs bedroom, the man began to feel a little more urgency. Again, he called out to God for help. He called out, “Lord, please save me!” Looking out his second story window, the man saw a boat approaching. The driver pulled the boat up to the house and shouted, “Sir, the flood waters are rising. I’ve come to rescue you. Jump in the boat and I will take you to higher ground.” Once again, the man politely declined, saying, “No, thank you. The Lord is going to save me.” So, the boat continued on without him.
The water continued to rise until finally the man had no alternative but to climb on top of his roof. As the water began to engulf the man, he looked up at the sky and begged God in desperation, “Lord, please save me!” At that moment, a helicopter broke through the clouds and dropped a ladder down to the man. The pilot called out, “Sir, the flood waters are upon you. Come into the helicopter and I will take you to higher ground.” With his final breath the man shouted back, “No, thank you. The Lord is going to save me.” And, with that, the man perished.
The man finds himself standing before the Lord and he asks the Almighty, “Lord, I had faith. Why didn’t you save me?” Shaking His head, the Lord responded, “What more did you want from me? I sent you a car, a boat, and a helicopter!”
I wonder if we, much like the man in the story, don’t become so convinced of what we think God will do and how we believe He should and will do it that we miss the actual means of assistance He provides.
At various times and ways, we have all been the person in this parable. We find ourselves crying out to God for help. The amount of faith we have at that moment may vary, but the act of crying out is itself a demonstration of some level of openness to the possibility of what God can and might do. As we cry out to God, we often have an idea of what our salvation will look and feel like. I wonder if we, much like the man in the story, don’t become so convinced of what we think God will do and how we believe He should and will do it that we miss the actual means of assistance He provides.
Jesus warned of the danger of missing the point in Matthew 13:14-15. The passage reads, “In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but not perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.” Calling out to God for help is but one step in the process. It is true that salvation belongs to the Lord. He does all of the heavy lifting. But, we must be ready and willing to see the salvation He provides and have the good sense and humility of heart to step out and receive the help He is offering.
It is true that salvation belongs to the Lord. He does all of the heavy lifting. But, we must be ready and willing to see the salvation He provides and have the good sense and humility of heart to step out and receive the help He is offering.
Next time you find yourself staring at the sky and calling out for help, be sure to take a moment to look around and see how the Lord might be working in and through those around you. Perhaps the Lord has sent you the solution you need but in a form that is different than you expected. God does hear you. God will send help. Keep your eyes, ears, and heart open so you don’t miss it when it comes.
