Although I was determined not to mindlessly scroll on my phone in the new year, I found myself swiping my screen on Instagram the other day. Thankfully, my pointless perusal turned out to be partly helpful because it became the introduction of this blog! (I know…excuses, excuses, excuses!). While browsing, I came across a Bollywood celebrity’s interview and, of course, I had to stop and listen to her “wise” words.

In the interview clip, this well-known celebrity, who I remember hero-worshipping in my younger days, repeats a particularly popular phrase, a mantra of our times: “I have no regrets”

In a classic “I’m a famous person” tone of voice, she shares that every choice she has made in her life was her choice and, therefore, she has “no regrets.” And here’s the clincher: With shocking poise she says that, sure, she may have slept with another woman’s husband, but again, “no regrets.” I had to pause and replay that part of the video—she spoke of the sin of adultery with such self-assurance that I thought I had misunderstood her. I hadn’t.

This woman chose to create her own version of right and wrong. She chose to be her own god. She chose to hide behind the veneer of, “no regrets.”

Like this lady, we all have our ways of brushing our sins under the carpet. We excuse it with the justification it’s not such a “big deal”. We ignore it by rushing from one distraction to another. We cover it up with church activity and good work. But there’s no hiding the fact that our sin pushes us away from our Savior.

God is our Rescuer—but He can only rescue us if we humble ourselves and cry out to Him in our distress.

In Psalm 107, the psalmist paints a picture of four types of people who need rescue. When each group realizes just how desperate their condition is, they “cried out to the Lord in their trouble and He delivers them from their distress.”

You may remember the news story from about 15 years ago of 33 Chilean miners who were trapped underground. For more than two months, these miners were buried 2400 feet below the earth, stuck behind 770,000 tons of rock.

But in the months it took for them to be rescued, the History Channel records that, “To combat their feelings of helplessness, the miners turned to their last remaining refuge: their faith.”

These Chilean miners were men of faith who prayed—they huddled together in a room that they called, “The Refuge.” I have no doubt that their prayers were not some sanitized, safe, timid words that they mumbled out of routine. I have no doubt that “they cried out to the Lord in their trouble.” (verses 6, 13, 18, 28)

And just like the Psalms record: “The Lord delivered them from their distress.”

With the eyes of the international community on them, 69 days after they were trapped in the darkness of the mine, all 33 men were pulled to safety.

When they were interviewed later, these men said that it felt like God was the 34^th miner in the rubble with them. What a powerful picture!

He is a God who has compassion on His children trapped in the darkness. He is Emmanuel, God with us. He is the 34^th miner. But He is also the First Responder in our distress.

Charles Spurgeon says this in his commentary on Psalm 107:

“Deliverance follows prayer most surely. The cry must have been very feeble, for they were faint, and their faith was as weak as their cry; but yet they were heard, and heard at once. A little delay would have been their death: but there was none, for the Lord was ready to save them.” 

I bet that none of those 33 miners said to their rescuers:” I think I’m fine down here. I might stay on another week or so.” They didn’t glibly say, “No regrets.” They knew beyond a shadow of a doubt just how desperate their situation was, just how close to death they were. They received help with humility.

Friend, I don’t know where you find yourself today. It doesn’t matter if it feels like rescue is impossible because you’re trapped under 770,000 tons of sins and mistakes and guilt and shame. It doesn’t matter if it feels like the darkness is too dark. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been trapped for 69 days or it has been too many days to count.

The Rescuer reaches out to deliver you. All you and I can do—all you are called to do—is to humbly cry out to God because you believe there is no other way.

Cry out in confession and repentance. Cry out in complete humility. Cry out to Christ who loves you with an unfailing love.

God has rescued us from the penalty of sin.

He is rescuing us from the power of sin.

And one day He will rescue us from the very presence of sin.

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