In 1987, all of America stopped to watch a real-life drama unfolded in Midland, Texas. Eighteen month old Jessica McClure fell down an abandoned well and was trapped. Millions of Americans watched the story of Baby Jessica unfold. To the relief of everyone, Jessica came out of the well on October 16, 1987.
In case you don’t remember the details of the story, let me give you a summary of what happened: “After 55 grueling hours trapped at the bottom of a 22-foot well, eighteen-month-old Jessica clawed her way out of the bottom of the pit, inch by inch, digging her little toes and fingers into the side of the well. What a hero, that Jessica!”
You may be thinking, “Whoa! That’s not what happened! She didn’t climb out! She was totally helpless down there; she was powerless to safe herself. If she hadn’t been rescued by those people she would have perished.” You are exactly right! And you and I were both in exactly the same situation. The Bible says, “At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6) We deserve no more applause for our salvation than baby Jessica got for being rescued. God alone deserves the credit. There is no act we can perform that deserves the applause of others.