The Rescuer’s Heart

Hearing of the Thailand soccer team being found alive in a cave brought us to tears. The thought of 13 kids, 1km deep underground and 4km from the entrance, all alone in the darkness for 10 days; goodness, we can only imagine their despair and desperation.

What were they thinking? After the ninth day, with no food, clothes and just one torchlight, were they losing hope of rescue?

And then the overwhelming joy of being found! The relief gushing over as all emotions cascade at once through their bodies, soul and spirit.

The video footage is here. 

But now critical decisions are foremost in the rescuer’s mind.

How to free them without losing one soul?

The world hold’s it’s breath as we are desperate to see them free from their dark dungeon.

A former navy seal has said the conditions are treacherous; the tunnel is flooded with murky and long stretches of water. Even for his team it would be a challenge to negotiate. And now we are asking 11-15 year olds, some who can’t swim, make that same journey for the first time breathing under water? We pray for their safety.

And time is critical, heavy monsoon rain is coming, already there has been rain that has caused a rise in the cave’s water levels. The boys are weak without food, but slowly gaining strength after being supplied with high protein drinks.

The Thai Governor of the area has told reporters, “We have to be 100 per cent confident that there is no risk to the boys before we evacuate. We will take care of them like they are our own children.”

The children are now being taught how to breath with diving masks and breathing gear.

When I think of this scene, I can’t help but think about the parallels of heaven and us on earth.

Heaven has a host of angels and saints living in freedom and bathed in light. And we are in this world as prisoners, gripped in spiritual darkness needing to be rescued from the devil who prowls this earth looking for someone to devour.

As the we yearn for the freedom of those boys, heaven desires us to be free from the bondage of sin and death.

Psalm 18 says:

” The Lord thundered from heaven;

    the voice of the Most High resounded

    amid the hail and burning coals.

¹⁴ He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies;

    great bolts of lightning flashed, and they were confused.

¹⁵ Then at your command, O Lord,

    at the blast of your breath,

the bottom of the sea could be seen,

    and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.

¹⁶ He reached down from heaven and rescued me;

    he drew me out of deep waters.”

Yes, those in the heavenlies are just as desperate to see us rescued from the devil’s grip as we are to see those boys freed.

Some ask, why doesn’t God rescue us now? Why wait?

God doesn’t want to lose one soul, one child of His. Just like the Thai rescuers don’t want to lose one boy in their rescue mission.

Matthew 13:24-30 

²⁴ Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. ²⁵ But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. ²⁶ When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.²⁷ “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’²⁸ “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.

“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.

²⁹ “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”

The harvest that Jesus is referring to is Judgement Day.

There is a time coming when Jesus will return and rescue his children from the bondage of evil, but in the meanwhile we endure living in the tension of existing in a dark and evil world. As children of God we wait patiently and endure suffering with a mission – the purpose is to show and tell others the wonders of all Jesus said and did!

Those in heaven are busy spurring us on, like a crowd cheering on runners in a race, willing us to run in such a way to win the prize. 

But for now we are like the boys sitting in a cave; we’re in the dark knowing that our rescuer will be here soon.