Read: Psalm 18:1-24

Spock

In many great stories, there is a Rescue. The prince saves the princess from the dragon. Or vice versa. Sometimes a great sacrifice is involved. Like Frodo in Lord of the Rings who gives up his happiness in the Shire to save those he loves. There are those who have given up their health, their loves, or their life to save someone else. Spock in The Wrath of Khan comes to mind. “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Or the one.” The creatures in the popular book series Redwall by Brian Jacques believe in this principle and live by it. The Rescue theme is always a prominent fixture.

Before the Rescue, there must be someone in need of rescuing. Rescues don’t go well when they’re unnecessary. They don’t always go well when the other person doesn’t want to be rescued.

It has long been my contention that the “rescue” in Attack of the Clones was unnecessary. After all, Padme and Anakin only got captured. “What are you doing here, Anakin?”

Frodo

“Rescuing you, Master.”

“Nice job.” (looks at chains)

A fair maiden, ordinary people, good mice/badgers/hedgehogs entrapped by evil “rats,” or Klingons.

You can need rescuing without knowing it.

In this story that is playing out, we are the ones who need rescuing.

Brings to mind that scene in Superman Returns where Clark says to Lois, “You say the world doesn’t need a savior. But every day I hear them crying out for one.”

The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears (verses 4-6).

And so, He came to our rescue.

He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind (verses 9-10).

Picture taken by Warren T. Creative Commons license

The wrath of God is terrible to behold. At least it’s not aimed at me — anymore. Smoke from his nostrils? Consuming fire from is mouth? Coals? I can’t help thinking of a dragon. Hailstones and bolts of lightning? stop stop stop.

He is so powerful that His rebuke can expose the valleys of the sea and lay bare the foundations of the earth. We fid later in the book of Hebrews that He can also see through us. Through our actions to our motives and thoughts, even those hidden away in the most secret places.

That’s why He can see that we truly are in need of a Rescue.

If we could handle our foes, we’d be all set. No need for God. But as verse 17 says, the foes were too strong for us. Extremely powerful. As it so happens, we can’t always handle whatever comes our way by ourselves, though we’d certainly like to. Sometimes I try to handle everything by myself and end up breaking. Satan is a lot stronger than us weak humans — when we are alone. But with God, we are more than enough.

Remember that you are not alone and unsupported. God is there. He will be your support in the good times and in your times of desperate need.