For He rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. (Colossians 1:13-15)
As I pulled out my most trusted Callaway hybrid this week to save me from another difficult situation in the rough, I thought of what golf was like long before the invention of a versatile club.
Think about trying to hit a two or three-iron out of two-inch deep rough before the advent of the forgiveness and ease with which a hybrid moves through the rough. The dreaded “topped” shot is not nearly as much of a worry.
Originally, these were named “rescue clubs” but are now commonly known as hybrid or utility golf clubs. The first ‘hybrid,’ the TaylorMade Firesole “Rescue,” was produced by TaylorMade in 1999 and reintroduced in 2003. It was 14 years old when it was used by Steve Allen in 2012 for Q school.
While a golf club may have provided rescue even 14 years after being invented, Jesus has been a rescuer for over 2000 years. Hybrid golf clubs are designed to save us from situations on the golf course where we miss our target.
If you are a Christian, you were rescued from sin: “missing the mark,” as some translations describe the meaning of sin. God’s rescue operation came from the grace of God through Jesus, who came to save anyone who wanted to be rescued. Grace brings peace. Peace results from being reconciled to God—you are no longer alienated from God.
The domain of darkness is the realm of demons and Satan. The Bible tells us they are controlling the earth’s belief system, and all they want to do is deceive and destroy mankind.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places (Eph 6:12).
The dark domain is a place of bondage and defeat. The rescue God provided broke the bondage from this domain’s authority and transferred me to another authority. I have been dragged out of the evil empire into the arms of the God of grace, into the kingdom of light under His authority.
Do you want to be rescued?
Are you drowning? Have you ever watched a drowning person get rescued? In order to be saved, they have to stop fighting so that the rescuer can provide life-saving assistance.
Zach Williams’ song “Rescue Story” illustrates his struggle and how Jesus saved him:
There I was empty-handed
Crying out from the pit of my despair
There You were in the shadows
Holding out Your hand, You met me there
And now, where would I be without You?
Where would I be, Jesus?
You were the voice in the desert
Calling me out in the dead of night
Fighting my battles for me
You are my rescue story
Lifted me up from the ashes
Carried my soul from death to life
Bringing me from glory to glory
You are my rescue story
Prayer: Father, thank you for Jesus. His completed work on the cross rescues me from the darkness into your glorious light. Direct our steps and let us serve you in a mighty way.