The Miracle of the Rescue

Most likely, you’ve either seen or heard about The Chosen, a new series based on the life of Jesus and His disciples. With Seasons 1 and 2 completed, fans of the series eagerly anticipate the coming of Season 3 sometime in the spring of 2022.

Like many Sunday morning preachers, the writers of The Chosen have added very plausible storylines to the details given in Scripture. The Jesus they present clearly fits the image I now have of the One who came to my rescue in the middle of my darkest night. 

I’m happy to say that Jesus does not expect more of us than His Spirit empowers us to give. That gives us confidence to grow. He graciously allows us to feel an extra measure of God’s love when we need it most. That’s reassurance. He sticks with us while pointing out the things we need to change, then the Spirit helps make those changes. That’s transformation. Jesus continually loves us well by sending other believers to our rescue when we become discouraged. That’s proof He knows us best, and knows exactly how to help. 

No other portrayal of Jesus’ disciples in The Chosen moved me any more than that of Mary Magdalene. (I’ll try not to be too much of a spoiler if you haven’t started watching.) The first episode of the series begins with events surrounding her demon possession. As the story unfolds, we see her as a little girl learning Scripture from her father. After his passing, the demons move in and she desperately tries to find a way to cope with them. Desperation can either ignite a tenacious recklessness or cause us to completely give up. Mary’s desperation pressed her toward both – until she met Jesus.  

In this storyline, Nicodemus represents the religious leaders who could not cast out her demons. After he learns that Mary has been healed, Nicodemus seeks her out to ask who had healed her. Then comes the line from Mary that summarizes my last three years. “I don’t understand it myself. But here is what I can tell you, I was one way, and now I am completely different. And the thing that happened in between was Him.”

When we stubbornly refuse to let God reveal our weak spots (and we all have them), we miss the wonder of the in-between. In my in-between God used my husband to be the loving arms of Jesus. He sent one friend to listen, one to counsel, and another one to push me. He knew exactly how far I could bend before completely breaking. The in-between most always feels miserable as we struggle there, but it’s the place of rescue – a place of miracles. On the other side of miserable struggling, we find sublime healing from the God who loves us enough to send an army.

It’s my prayer that you will ask God to reveal your weaknesses and then allow Him to transform your heart. 

“Honor me by trusting me in your day of trouble.

Cry aloud to me, and I will be there to rescue you.”

Psalm 50:15, TPT

Posted in
A poster saying The Miracle of the Rescue with a lake in the background

Donna Jackson

How Can Anxious Be a Good Word?

By Donna Jackson | October 3, 2023 |

Learning a new language can be frustrating and quite time-consuming. I remember going on a mission trip to Guatemala many years ago and trying to communicate with only a few Spanish words in my vocabulary. The mistakes I made brought belly laughs to those who spoke the language fluently. However, it was the dentist on…

Justice for the Bad Guy

By Donna Jackson | August 22, 2023

Sometimes I can’t help myself; I want the bad guy to get what he deserves. I watched an old TV police show a few days ago. The bad guy was a serial killer who had been methodically killing young women. After the authorities zeroed in on him, he was literally trapped between a rock and…

Seeking God’s Fire

By Donna Jackson | August 15, 2023

When God Takes Us Back to School

By Donna Jackson | August 8, 2023

There’s an air of anticipation wrapped around a new school year. Elementary kids grin with excitement over new scissors, glue, markers, and folders stuffed inside new backpacks. Middle schoolers spend time searching out the latest logos on shirts and shoes. High school students look forward to being back with their friends and finding out who…

You Are Not the Only One

By Donna Jackson | July 25, 2023

It’s easy to think our whole world has gone haywire and turned its back on God. On our weakest days, we think there is absolutely nothing we can do about the decline. And then … God, who knows our hearts, drops bits of encouragement in front of us to help us remember that we are…

Shifting Our Perspective

By Donna Jackson | July 18, 2023

Our eleven-month old grandson Chapel, whom I affectionately refer to as Chappy, finally put his hands and knees in motion. The first time we held him, like all babies, he couldn’t do much. He can now successfully crawl from one chair to another and pull himself up. In no time at all, he will be…

Changing Our View of Marriage

By Donna Jackson | July 11, 2023

Most who enter into marriage make the same kind of tenacious promise; leaving will never be an option. Yet, we’ve all been touched by or acquainted with those who finally succumbed to frustrations, temptations, or difficult circumstances and chose to to walk away. They gave in and gave up.  Hopefully, we also know those who…

Nothing Left to Lose

By Donna Jackson | July 4, 2023

Kris Kristofferson co-wrote it. Roger Miller first recorded it. Then versions by Gordon Lightfoot, Charlie Pride, Kenny Rogers, and numerous others were released. But, it was Janis Joplin who made it famous.  Just as the counter-cultural, free-loving, drug-experimenting sixties was giving way to a new decade with troubles of its own, “Me and Bobby McGee”…

No Good Reason to Love

By Donna Jackson | June 27, 2023

“I love you.” It’s such an easy thing to say. We utter the words with a hug as we leave a relative or friend’s house. We whisper them when we snuggle with our children at bedtime. We often hear it said with a smile at church gatherings. We slowly mouth the tender words to soft…

To Hell in a Handbasket?

By Donna Jackson | June 20, 2023

For centuries, Christians have been portrayed as the bad guys.  During Jesus’ day, religious leaders felt like He threatened their status, power, and influence. Jealousy reared high its ugly, and seemingly-triumphant, head until a bloody crown of thorns bowed low on the cross. In A.D. 64, the egomaniac Nero first blamed the burning of Rome…