PROGRAM SUCCESS – MARCH 2010
PAGE 5
FROM GOD’S CORNER
“WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN
YOU’RE OUT ON A LIMB?”
By Aundra Bryant
Tallahassee, Florida
There is an old saying in
the Black experience
which says “people will
put you out on a limb”.
In a sermon that I heard
a few years ago, I heard
a minister from Georgia
say that not only will people put you out on a limb; they will
cut down the tree as well. We are living in some perilous
times where we see thousands of people out of work, people
losing their homes and instead of men and women turning to
the Rock that will never give away, they are turning to a life
of crime and violence. The recession that we are going
through has not only taken away our dollars and cents but it
has taken away our common sense as well.
There are three things that I would like to suggest that
we can do when we are out on a limb. Firstly, in the Gospel
of St. Luke Chapter 18 verses 1-10, Zaccheus wants to get a
closer look at Jesus and he runs ahead of the crowd and
climbs up in a Sycamore tree. When we are out on a limb we
should look at the features of Jesus. Jesus is merciful,
loving, joyous and humble. The songwriter says “Pass me
not Oh gentle savior, hear my humble cry, while on others
thou art calling, savior do not pass me by. We need to make
sure we do a checkup from the neck up.
Secondly, in First Kings Chapter 19 verses 1-8 we see
that the prophet Elijah has been threatened by the wicked
Queen Jezebel who has promised to kill him. Elijah began to
run and found himself under a Juniper or Broom tree and he
declared to the Lord that he wanted to die. However, the
Lord provided food and water for him that he might regain
his strength and journey on. When we are out on a limb, this
is not the time to go on a diet. The psalmist David said that
the Word of God is a lamp unto my feet and a light onto my
pathway. Satan we try to keep us from the soul food or the
Word of God which we eat when we go to church, Bible
study, Sunday school or during intercessory prayer. It was
the Word of God which encouraged Elijah and
kept him holding on to his faith during those
trying times.
Finally, in the Gospel of St. Luke Chapter
23 verses 40-43, as Jesus was hanging on that old
rugged cross so that you and I could have a right
to the tree of life, one of the thieves cried out
“Lord when you enter into your kingdom, please
remember me”. When we find ourselves out on a
limb, we should not even think about having a
pity party. We need to take the focus off us and
try to help someone else. Jesus stopped dying
long enough to open the doors of the Church and
told the thief “This day thou shalt be with me in
paradise”.
In conclusion, there was a story told about
a hurricane that had devastated a certain town.
After the insurance adjusters had gone throughout
the town and made their assessment of the
financial damage they notice a tree still standing
on the hill. The other two trees nearby an oak tree
and pine tree had been ripped apart but this small
cedar tree was still standing. They grabbed some
shovels and dug up the tree and noticed that the
roots were wrapped and tied together. If we stay
wrapped up, tied up and tangled up in Jesus as the
late Rev. Oris Mays wrote in his song years ago,
we will be able to survive when we are put out on
a limb.