I’m not sure why I like those old Western movies, but I do. Whether it’s an old Classic with James Stewart or John Wayne or Clint Eastwood, it doesn’t really matter. I grew up with those movies as a child and you really don’t see too many modern day westerns, so I guess that’s why I enjoy them today.
This weekend, I was killing some time watching an old Western, I don’t even remember the name or who was in the movie. The good guys in the movie were searching for the bad guys near an old, abandoned Gold mine. You can probably predict what happens next. The bad guys were long gone; no where to be found. The good guys were exploring around the mine when, all of a sudden, they fell into a shallow mine shaft. From the movie, it looked maybe 20 feet deep or so. Just enough that they couldn’t climb out of the hole. The suspense was building. How were the good guys going to get out of this mine shaft and continue searching for the bad guys? As predictable as ever, our hero of the movie eventually finds these fallen heroes in the mind shaft. He stands over them, looking down at them in the shaft, and gives them some words of encouragement. “Don’t worry. I’ll throw the rope down to you and have my horse pull you out of the mine shaft.” Sure enough, he threw down the rope and the hero’s horse slowly drug them out of the shaft. Just as they all exited the mine shaft, of course, it collapsed. They had all made their exits from danger just in the nick of time.
As crazy as it sounds, I was thinking about how this cheesy message had such spiritual overtones. How many times in life had I been searching for something? How many times in life have I been searching for the right answers? How many times had I been really seeking what God’s Will was in my life, only to fall into one of those “spiritual mine shafts.” Just when I thought everything was going as planned—-boom!—-down I fell into darkness. Are you in one of those spiritual mine shafts today?
The Lord has never failed me. Anytime that I’ve fallen into one of those pitfalls, the Lord has lifted me out in such a mighty way. I don’t understand it. I don’t understand why God works in the ways HE does sometimes, but I accept it and I lean on my faith to get me through whatever circumstance I may be experiencing.
Just like the hero of our movie looked down at the good guys in the mine shaft and pulled them out to safety, I’ve been able to look up to our God and HE has pulled me out of the pitfalls of darkness.
Always remember this—whatever is over your head, is under HIS feet.
