Rescue!
by Jilly Lyon-Taylor
Our garden overlooks a small lake which is inhabited by various water birds. One morning recently I looked out of the window and saw a family of mallards waddling across our lawn – a mother with eleven tiny newly hatched ducklings. They went round the corner of our house, but as I continued to watch them the mother duck saw me and immediately scurried off, calling to her brood to follow, which they did – all except one. There is a gap between the wall of our house and a flowerbed, and one adventurous, independent little duckling had fallen into it. The walls were too steep for him to scramble back up, and his wings were not yet properly formed, so he was stuck there, desperately squeaking to his mother for help. His mother was quacking back at him, but there was nothing she could do to rescue him. He needed help from on high – in this case me!
I reached down and gently scooped him up in my hands and put him down on the lawn. He scuttled off back to his family, and there was a joyful reunion! I felt a great sense of joy and satisfaction at having saved the little duckling and spared the anguish of the mother.
As I reflected on the episode I felt God speaking to me about His joy in rescuing us. We can find ourselves in desperate situations (often of our own making), but as we cry out to God He will reach down from on high, take hold of us and bring us out.
Today’s verses from Psalm 18 show that He not only rescues us, but that He does so because He delights in us. As I cradled the tiny duckling in my hands, I marvelled at how beautiful it was with its soft fluffy down and intricate markings. As I delighted in it, I was reminded of the tenderness of the Father and the delight that He has in us.
Do you believe today that He can rescue you from whatever pit you may find yourself in, and that He does it because He delights in you?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that You delight in me and that You can rescue me from any pit. Please take hold of me today and bring me out of the desperate situation I find myself in. Forgive me for the part I played in getting into this situation, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Jilly Lyon-Taylor is part of the Leadership Team at Ellel Pierrepont. She worked in publishing and then with children in Hong Kong before concentrating on being a full-time mother and serving in the local church. Her desire to see people healed led her to the Luke Nine Eleven Training Scheme(NETS) at Pierrepont, and now she teaches and ministers there.
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