“For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’” (Isaiah 41:13)

A man who fell over the side of a cliff was hanging on to a branch that was starting to give way. Recognizing it was only a matter of time before he would fall to his death, he shouted, “Is anybody up there? Somebody help me!”  Suddenly Jesus appeared, leaned over the edge, and said, “Young man, reach out and take my hand, and I will save you. But first, you must let go of that branch you’re holding on to.”

The man didn’t want to let go of the branch.

Jesus told him, “You must take hold of My hand and let go of the branch, or I can’t pull you up.”

The man paused for a minute and said, “Is anybody else up there?”

A lot of us don’t want to let go. We still want to hold on to a part of our old lives. But there has to be a moment in each of our lives in which we have recognized we are sinners and have asked for God’s forgiveness. Then Jesus Christ comes in. But we have to let go. Some changes must take place.

The Bible says there is a spiritual blindness in all those who have not yet turned their lives over to Jesus Christ. So we must have our spiritual eyes opened, turning from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God (see Acts 26:18). As we yield to God and His will for our lives, we will receive the forgiveness of sins. Then we will see the incredible benefits of making those changes.

But we have to let go of our branch and take hold of His hand.