Telephone pole climbing is an art that requires some courage. In order to climb, it is necessary to wear spiked shoes and a belt that attaches round the pole. Easy? Sure!
However, learning the art of leaning backwards, putting all your weight on the belt and depending on it many feet above the ground, requires courage and trust. When the full body weight is on the belt, the belt holds tightly to the pole, and the shoe spikes dig into the hardwood pole, giving stability.
Depending on the belt is difficult to learn, and many beginners painfully slide down the splintery pole because they fail to fully trust the belt. It often takes the beginner a few such “splinter” experiences to convince him to put all his weight on that belt.
Sometimes, the pole climber is suspended at a big height, over nothing but air, but his hands must be free to work on the wires. His safety and his freedom of movement to carry out his work depend on his keeping his weight on the belt.
In our Christian life of faith, God wants us to grow (climb) by depending on HIM – by putting our ENTIRE trust in Him. We need to lean ALL our weight on Him, just as the pole climber needs to put all his weight on the belt.
When we follow His leading, we are safe. When our trust is firmly fixed in Him, we are safe. We are free to serve wherever He leads, whenever and whatever, without fear.
When we are hurt by “splinters” we should recognise – just as the trainee pole climber – that the fault is not in the equipment, or the pole, or the instructor. The fault lies with us. The fault lies with our lack of faith: lack of dependence on our “Belt”.
Splinters can be most irritating and painful, but they are reminders that we need to depend on HIS strength and loving purpose for us. We need to rest our ENTIRE weight on Him.
Sure, it takes a lot of courage to put things in God’s hands:
To give ourselves completely – our lives, our hopes, our plans:
To follow where He leads us, and make His will our own,
But all it takes is foolishness to go the way alone!
Ephesians 6:16
Above all, Take the shield of faith,
With which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one
# Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death
MEETING IN THE CLOUDS 
Oh those splinters! I have a few and He is indeed faithful to show me what went wrong and how to lean more fully each time. I love your analogies so much! It just brings those scriptures and His precepts to life for us! God bless you, mentor Angela, as you lean on Him today, hands free to praise too!
LikeLike
I’d like an extra pair of hands today Deb, as I try to catch up after being away. We came home a couple of days early because Myles had a problem. It is OK now and the Pacemaker implant is still scheduled for Friday 20th.
Splinters sure can be painful, but our God is faithful and will use whatever is necessary to draw us back to Himself. How foolish to try to live our own way . . . but praise God He keeps a tight hold and will NOT let us go.
What an amazing God!
LikeLike
“Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death.” That is a good word! I was just sharing with a parishoner that there are things we just have to understand we are never going to understand; We simply have to trust God through them! I love this analogy.
LikeLike
Trust God without understanding – a tall ask. However, when we experience the REALITY of knowing God and of having Him at work in our lives, it should be easy to trust Him even if everything around us urges us against it.
What an amazing (and totally trustworthy) God!
LikeLike
Thanks much, Angela
I much prefer to avoid the splinters :-)
Blessings
ann
LikeLike
Splinters are painful, so I wonder why I sometimes go that way! Thank You, Lord, for those splinters that remind me of Your faithfulness and send me running back to You and Your way for me.
LikeLike
Amen, friend. What a Savior! Love the analogy. Thanks for sharing His truth and God bless.
LikeLike
Thank you. His Truth is always worth sharing, and His blessing is always forthcoming when we do.
LikeLike
A friend of mine just got a job which requires climbing poles. What a great illustration!
“When we are hurt by “splinters” we should recognise – just as the trainee pole climber that the fault is not in the equipment, or the pole, or the instructor. The fault lies with us. The fault lies with our lack of faith: lack of dependence on our “Belt”.” That is a good word!!!
LikeLike
I have so often found that “splinters” happen when we fail to trust the Lord to do as He has promised. Thankfully, He lovingly draws us back to Himself and sets us back on the right path.
What an amazing God!
LikeLike
What a blessing it is to be able to fully lean on the Lord and trust in Him. It is the key to being able to handle the stresses we face in this life. Great lesson that we all can learn from. Thank you Angela
LikeLike
Yes, Rob, it is the key. When we put our whole weight on Him, trusting Him, it is such a privilege and joy and we feel as though we are flying . . . but we are humbled because we know it is ONLY because He chooses to work in us and through us.
What an amazing God!
LikeLike
Hi Angela what a great message ,I loved the analogy of the linesman, I had`nt realised the importance of the belt. So true of us and our relationship with God .Full Trust and totally lean. Welldone
blessings
Ron
LikeLike
Hi Ron. Keeping their entire weight on the belt keeps them safe and also gives them freedom of movement, but it must be a mind-blowing experience to be sitting on the air, a long way off the ground! Sometimes I feel like that – but I know that “underneath are the everlasting arms” so I can trust and not be afraid when trials assail.
Angela
LikeLike
Love this post…I have climbed poles, and towers, still do. A full body harness to climb a tower is much more involved then a pole harness. Being a couple hundred feet in the air and having to lean back in the harness is not easy! But having absolute trust in Christ is even harder. That is what we are called to though. Our lives really flow so much better when we trust in Jesus and not ourselves.
Thanks for a great post!
Greg
LikeLike
Thanks for the first-person addition here.
>> “having absolute trust in Christ is even harder” – Yes, I agree. All we have to do is let go of self – but THAT is not easy. Even after more than 50 years of trusting Him and NEVER being disappointed, there are still times when I trust myself . . . and that is ALWAYS disastrous. Isn’t it incredible that we are so slow to learn and yet HE is so forgiving, loving and patient with us!
What an amazing God!
LikeLike