I. Introduction
I know ladders are not uncommon or awe inspiring. They are simply an everyday tool that we use to reach heights that we would otherwise be unable to reach. So, there is nothing really mind blowing about that. However, because they are so common and because most of you have used a ladder at some point in your life it would seem that it would be unnecessary to talk about ladder lessons. But then this . . .
I won't tell you who did this, but I will tell you that Pastor Andrew has been grounded for life . . . literally. He has been grounded by me and more importantly by Jess. 7 days before a wedding. It is a blessing from God that Drew is as tall as he is because if he wasn't, then he would never be able to reach anything because he is not allowed to even look at a ladder longingly! Out of this experience I started thinking about the fact that there are some Ladder Lessons we need to learn in order to take advantage of its ability to take us higher.
Text: Psalm 63:8 (NLT)
I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.
My soul clings to You; Your right hand takes hold of me.
My soul clings hard to You; Your right hand upholds me.
If you will allow me, I would like for just a second to tell you about this ladder. There is something we must settle before we begin examining this passage of Scripture. We must jointly come to the conclusion that this ladder has the ability to hold me. The truth is that if I weighed twice what I weigh right now this ladder still would have the ability, capacity and is capable of holding me. Pick anyone in the congregation and let's send them up the rungs of this ladder and the conclusion would still be the same - the ladder is able to hold us. The ladder is qualified. The ladder is able. The ladder is strong enough. Even though Drew fell the truth is the ladder had the ability to hold him. The ladder is secure enough. The ladder's ability to do what it is supposed to do, designed to do, advertised to do is unquestioned.
David, in the wilderness of his life, pens this Psalm and in verse 8 he declares that God is capable of holding us. There is no question. In fact, he declares that God hand is holding him securely. In the middle of the dry season of his life - he is either on the run from Saul or hiding from his rebellious and treacherous son Absalom - David concludes God's hand is not short and His arm is not weak. God is holding him securely. The ground around him may give way. The support systems he thought was with him may fall apart. The ones he thought were for him may actually be against him, but God is able to hold him. He had learned the first lesson.
The first lesson is this . . .
Ladder Lesson 1: The ladder will hold you.
Moses learned this lesson. When rejected by everyone else. God held him. When talked about by his own family God backed him up. When his own insecurities were about to hijack his destiny God sent him help!
Noah learned that when everyone else doubts you God will flood you with support.
Job learned that when everything around is toppled and laid to ruin God will still be there sustaining you.
Joseph learned this. When others plotted his death God was plotting his promotion.
Gideon learned that when you are outnumbered and out gunned God will confuse your enemy and give them to you on a platter.
In the New Testament, the disciples learned that even when Jesus couldn't be seen He could be trusted to securely hold them.
Paul learned that even when he was suffering with a thorn in his side - a nagging weakness - His ladder of grace is still more than sufficient.
So, David was right! Unquestionably the ladder - God can hold us.
Hasn't He proven faithful to those of you in this room? Hasn't He proven is ability and capabilities to you in this room? Hasn't He, in the middle of brokenness held you up? Hasn't He, in tragedy, sustained you? Hasn't He, in sickness, healed you? Hasn't God been there through every unexpected turn, unwanted experiences, unplanned twist and gut-wrenching, stomach-churning moment? Haven't we discovered that God is faithful to uphold us securely with the strength of His right arm? He not only can . . . He will hold us.
So, if that is the case, then there is another Ladder Lesson that may be just as or more important to learn! David teaches us this lesson when he starts his Psalm by saying "I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely."
Lesson 2: I must cling to be clung.
Notice, that David doesn't question God's ability to hold us. However, he does inform us that we have a part to play in this.
We loudly and proudly ascribe the ability to hold onto us to God, but I wonder if we don't need to stop just a moment and address the fact that we have a role to play. We have a responsibility to hold onto Him.
The ladder can hold me, but it does not hold me if I don’t cling to it. I can't blame the ladder for my fall. the ladder has the capacity and capabilities to hold me. I can't blame the ladder for my demise, my pain, my agony if I am not clinging to it. I wonder if we really cling to Him as if our life depended on it?
I mentioned Job. Job had everything ripped away. Houses, flocks, comfort, family, security, health and in the end, he comes to the conclusion that "though He slay me yet will I trust Him!" You do know that the devil wasn't really after Job's flocks, his houses, his family, his health, right? He was after Job's commitment. He wanted to get Job to turn his back on God.
I need to tell today your commitment is reflected in your cling.
Too many of us are living any way we want to live, putting our trust in everything but God and then expecting Him to run to our rescue, to uphold us, to secure us, to comfort us, to protect us, to provide for us when we need Him.
What you are holding on to better have the ability to hold on to you. My question to you this morning is are you clinging to the God or are you clinging to other things that do not have the ability or capacity to hold you when things begin to shake? Are you clinging to possessions? People? Place. Pension? What you cling to better be able to cling to you - hold you, sustain you!
I am held because I hold. There is holding we must do. All the holding is not by Him alone. Holding is a two-way street. Some of us want to be held, but we never hold. Some of fall, not because the ladder wasn't strong enough to hold us, but simply because we weren't holding on to the ladder strong enough.
I am challenging you to check your hold on so that you don’t have to check your held on!
Cling so that you can be clung to.
Could the strength of our hold determine the strength of His hold?
That is why this morning I declare as for me and my house we will trust the Lord. We will hold on to Him like our lives depend on it.
That's why I will declare that others can trust in chariots and men, but I will put all of my trust in the Lord.
That's why I have made up my mind that I will trust in the Lord rather than leaning on my own understanding.
That's why I can sing with the song writer who declared . . .
On Christ the solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand
(Haven't you discovered this to be true?)
Trust in You and only You
His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood
When all around my soul gives way (He's my hope)
He then is all my hope and stay
On Christ the solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand
I am clinging to Him because I want to be clung by Him. I am holding on to Him because I want to be held by Him! Do your part and He will do His part! He is capable of holding us! Are we holding on to the One who is willing to hold on to us?
