Have you seen an alligator without a tail? No? Me neither. Well, meet Bob. I was able to meet Bob on a trip to Alligator Adventure in Myrtle Beach. 

Bob was born without a tail, which is the most prevalent birth defect among gators. Alligators like Bob have 0% chance of survival in the wild. Zero! Their tails are essential. Being born without one, is a death sentence. That is, unless someone saves them. Unless someone takes them into their protective “arms” and places them into a habitat where they will be protected from prey, and fed in a way that is accessible for them. Upon being saved, gators like Bob can grow, flourish, and live a life without fear of certain and immediate death. 

God used Bob to remind me of a truth that some people may not know. A truth that those of us who do know, often take for granted. We are born, not necessarily needing to be physically saved from death, but certainly in need of being spiritually saved. Just as Bob would have had zero chance of life without being rescued, we find ourselves with zero chance (as in no chance at all) of an abundant and eternal life without being rescued by a Savior, Jesus, who loves us enough to go to the cross for us. A Savior who puts us in His arms, not only saving us from certain death, but loving us, caring for us, strengthening us, as we journey forward, on this often-difficult earth. 

If you’re anything like me, you have had times in your life when you have certainly felt the need to be rescued. Even after I became a follower of Jesus, I still had times when I needed Him to rescue me. Times when circumstances were pushing me down, making me question my value and worth. Times when I saw no way out of a scary situation. Times when I couldn’t see the freedom He offers.

Have you been there? Have you had those hopeless feelings and scary circumstances? We can be thankful that unlike the alligators, we don’t need to wait to be rescued. We don’t need to hope that by some chance, someone may happen across our path. We are able, right now, to know that Jesus went to the cross for us. We are able to reach out to Him this very second and ask Him to save us. We are able today to let Him know that we are ready to have Him walk ahead of us on this life journey. We are able to ask Him to prepare a place for us in heaven for our future journey. We are able to ask Him to direct us on the path ahead that may seem scary to us. How awesome is that! 

There are no magical words that need to be said. It’s about aligning our hearts with the God who loves us enough to send His Son, Jesus. By asking Him for the rescue, we are changing our zero percent chance of abundant and eternal life to 100% chance of abundant and eternal life. My prayer is that no one lets this rescue opportunity pass by. 

Here are some scriptures that I hold close to my heart, and my prayer is they bring strength and comfort to you today in the midst of whatever situation you find yourself. And as always, shoot me a message if you need to share a prayer request or if you made the decision today to be rescued by Jesus.

Psalm 121:1-2

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

John 5:24
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

 John 11:26
And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?

Peter 3:18

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 

Misty Cramer is an author & speaker who recently released her first book, The Every Day God, 40 Daily Devotions for Walking with God through Everyday Moments. This book quickly made its way to Amazon's #1 New Release and Best Seller lists in multiple categories, as well as made its way into the Finals for the Selah Awards in the Devotion category. In her book, Misty authentically shares her own story to remind us all that God has a specific plan, even in the midst of life's messes. She has been married to Todd for 39 years and has five adult sons. While they enjoy their time as "empty nesters" in rural Michigan, they also love visits from their sons, four daughters-in-laws, and three granddaughters. Misty sends out a monthly devotion, and she'd love to send it along to you. The link to subscribe to the devotion, as well as the link to Misty's book can be found below:

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