Jude 1:24-25 - Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

George Mallory was a British hiker, a mountain climber.

In 1923 a writer for the New York Times asked Mallory why he spent so much time and energy trying to conquer Mount Everest. Mallory's reply was simple, "Because it's there." The following year, 1924, Mallory was last seen making a third attempt on the mountain. His body was discovered more than 75 years later.

Because it's there.

That explains why two Vancouver hiking groups were recently climbing the town mountain, mile-high Mount Harvey. The report said, "Five hikers managed to reach the summit and stepped out on a cornice." (For those of you who, like me, are not mountain climbers, let me save you the time of looking up the word. A cornice is "an overhanging mass of hardened snow at the edge of a mountain precipice.")

Our Vancouver climbers stepped out on this cornice and it gave way. They fell 1,600 feet.

The only member of the group who survived was one who had fallen behind. When he reached the summit, he expected to be met by his friends. Instead, he encountered another climber who had followed the tracks of the group. He sadly told the survivor: "I'm sorry, I think your friends have fallen."

You don't have to be a mountain climber to hear those words, "I think your friends have fallen." Indeed, many of us have special friends who are treading on dangerous ground.

These are friends and family who do not know Jesus as their Savior and Lord. They rely on themselves and their own skills to get through their days. Amazingly, many of them do well, managing to accomplish great things. But ... there always is a "but," isn't there?

In spite of their skill, in spite of their past successes, if things remain as they are, the day will come when they will take a step and find out there is nothing to support them, and they will fall.

I know you have tried to warn these special people, in the past. You have told them they need the Savior if they are going to avoid eternal death. You have told them to watch their step, but they have not listened. Well, today we are going to pray for them. We will entrust them, once again to Him who "is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy."

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, today our Daily Devotioners come before You with a very special person in our minds. We pray for (include name(s) here ________________) and all those who are living their lives without the Savior. Send Your Holy Spirit upon them so they may know and believe in the Lord who gave His life so they might have an abundant life. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

The story upon which this Daily Devotion is based was written on April 10, 2017 for Newser by Jenn Gidman The website where the parent article can be found is: www.newser.com/story/241087/tragedy-on-canadian-mountain-i-think-your-friends-have-fallen.html.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: 1 Samuel 13-14    Luke 19:28-48

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