In His Arms

"It was God who preserved us from imminent death, and it is he who still preserves us. Further, we trust him to keep us safe in the future, and here you can join in and help by praying for us, so that the good that is done to us in answer to many prayers will mean eventually that many will thank God for our preservation." 2 Corinthians 1:9,10

In these two verses, there's a Greek verb that's used three times, and implied once, that I think it's absolutely imperative you leave from this email knowing. In the Phillips translation, above, and because of its changing tensing, it's translated as: "preserved us," "still preserves us," "keep us safe in the future," and "our preservation." The word is ῥύομαι (pronounced Hroo-oh-my).

And here's the reason I want you to know it: its definition. ῥύομαι means: "to rescue, to save, to deliver," and yet the means of that action are very pictorial, like, "to draw to oneself" or "to hold close as a means of salvation."

So, my friends, the next time you feel troubled, afraid, anxious or in-need-of-rescue, I want you to say aloud - to yourself and to Him: ῥύομαι! (Hroo-oh-my!) The Jesus we're following doesn't complete His rescues at a remove or from a distance: the way He does this, always, is up-close and in His arms. That's where all this ends. So why not be there now?