Lifeline: Discovering The Only Line That Truly Saves

By Amanda O. Daniels

Based on Psalm 91 and overflowing with scripture, Lifeline, by author Amanda O. Daniels provides an understanding of the bread of life which nourishes the soul and helps shine a light on the path of transformation. It offers hope and healing to those who are hurting and hungry and those in need of search and rescue.

As she leads you toward your individual lifeline, Daniels navigates through seasons of her life as she chronicles her personal journey. It’s a story of discovery, building trust, and grabbing hold of the only lifeline that truly saves, the Lord, while vulnerably touching on issues like betrayal and the fear of parenting a child with a chronic illness. She also shares the intimate stories of others who have battled cancer, braved combat, and lost loved ones as they found relief and restoration in something bigger than anything of this world.

Lifeline, when used in conjunction with the Bible, seeks to illuminate the way, simplify the truth, and empower you to grab hold of the life that promises to save.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Aug 17, 2020
• ISBN: 9781716959752

Book preview

DANIELS

Copyright © 2020 Amanda O. Daniels.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored,

or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical,

or electronic—without written permission of the author, except in the

case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized

reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-71695-973-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-71695-974-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-71695-975-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020907050

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in

this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views

expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the

views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are

models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the New International

Version (NIV). Bible Gateway, www.biblegateway.com. Accessed 28 Nov. 2018.

Scripture notations marked The Message are taken from The Message. Peterson,

Eugene H. Bible Gateway, www.biblegateway.com. Accessed 28 Nov. 2018.

Scripture notations marked NLT are from the New Living Translation.

Bible Gateway, www.biblegateway.com. Accessed 28 Nov. 2018.

Scripture notations marked HCSB are taken from Holman Christian

Standard Bible. Bible Gateway, HYPERLINK "http://www.biblegateway.

com" www.biblegateway.com. Accessed 28 Nov. 2018.

All biblical language dictionaries (Hebrew to English, Greek to English) are

taken from Zondervan NIV Exhaustive Concordance. Edward W. Goodrick, John

R. Kohlenberger III, and James A. Swanson, (Michigan: Zondervan, 1999).

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 07/01/2020

To my husband, Trey: thank you for encouraging me and enabling me to spend so many hours writing this book! You are my biggest fan and a precious gift of grace! I love you and respect you so very much.

And to my one and only daughter, Grayson: thank you for being a beautiful example of courage, faith, and joy! God has certainly shined His face on you and I am grateful to have a front row seat to watch your extraordinary life unfold. I love you so very much.

PREFACE

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

—2 Corinthians 1:3–4

A s a young adult, I was cruising down a somewhat self-centered highway to happiness when a few wrong turns led me straight over a cliff to catastrophe. Oblivious to the warning signs along the way, I do not even remember hitting the brakes as I crashed through the protective barricades and found myself spiraling down into a violent, rocky sea of emotional turmoil and chaos.

Because I grew up in the church, I went straight to the Bible and tried to find help there. But by trying, I would pray and open God’s Word with the same sort of attitude as if I was playing roulette in Las Vegas, crossing my fingers that by chance I would get lucky and land on a winner! Not only did that crazy mentality never lead to winning money in Vegas, it never led me to find what I was looking for in the scriptures. God performs miracles—not magic tricks.

When I failed in my half-hearted and misguided attempt to find answers in the Bible, I enlisted a secular psychologist and spent countless Friday nights staggering around the buffet of self-help books at the bookstore intoxicated by pain and gorging on ala carte advice, wisdom, and relief. Anyone who has ever pigged-out at a buffet knows that gorging may feel good in the moment, but it never ends well.

What I found in these self-help books was a common denominator of me and my power to help myself. And I knew deep down that I needed much more than me. I needed to be spiritually nourished; stuffing myself on fake substitutes filled with artificial preservatives was simply not sustaining me. It didn’t even satisfy the craving.

I knew I needed the bread of life—manna. I knew I needed a lifeline—Jesus.

As I recognized my need to be rescued by something bigger than anything of this world, I found my Savior who had been there all along, waiting for me to find Him. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart (Jeremiah 29:13).

Again, because I grew up in the church, I knew a lot about Jesus. I knew He was a real person, born to a virgin named Mary. I knew He lived a sinless life, and then He was nailed to a cross where He died. And I knew that three days later, He resurrected, proving that He was God as well as the Son of God. I knew He did this to save those who believe it from the penalty of their sins.

For as long as I can remember, I believed this. But claiming to believe it in order to secure your future in Heaven is not the same thing as breaking free from the chains of bondage and walking in it as truth. To bridge this gap, you must personalize it.

Although intellectually I knew that Jesus came and gave up His life to pay for our sins because God so loved the world, I did not understand that I was the world. I did not get that Jesus loved me so much that He came to free me and reconcile me to God. Me. And you.

Therefore, because I did not understand how much He loved me, I did not realize that my identity, worth, and life are found in Him and nothing else. I did not know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I was a beloved daughter of the King (God) and that this had nothing to do with what I looked like, how I performed, what I achieved, or what I acquired.

Not only did I not know who God says I am, I did not truly know who God says He is either. I did not see Him as a loving Father whose ways are to protect, free, and bless me. I did not understand that His sovereign character never changes. I had not yet realized my daily need of His grace. And worse yet, my relationship with Him was one-sided in that I knew what I wanted from Him, but I had absolutely no idea what He wanted from (or for) me.

Here is where it gets tricky: I thought I knew God. I thought I knew me too. But as it turned out, I did not really know either one of us very well. To take it even one step further, I did not know my enemy—the devil—who prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).

Let me be clear and say that the devil is not some character with horns, dressed in red, and holding a pitchfork. Instead, the devil is an evil spirit who specializes in deception and accusation by manifesting in such things as fear, insecurity, pride, anger, anxiety, bitterness, envy, and greed. This enemy is an astute observer of human behavior. He is astonishingly clever and tireless in his pursuit of our destruction as he relentlessly attempts to wage war against God using us as ammunition.

That being so, the devil knew my weaknesses, and he duped me by twisting things around and confusing me, much like he did to Eve (Genesis 3:1), and much like he attempted to do to Jesus in the desert (Luke 4:2). In fact, as the devil often does, he paradoxically convinced me that I was not even committing sin (which, in its most basic form, is simply disagreeing with God).

As I look back, I realize I was the perfect prey because I was not alert, not educated, and I did not give my enemy enough credit. So, like a hungry lion stalking a doe, he set his eyes upon me as a prime target for attack, and I never even saw it coming.

Though everything I needed to know about the identity of God, myself, and the devil is in the Bible, like I said, anytime I had attempted to read it, I had quickly given up. It was intimidating, it did not make much sense to me, and frankly, it seemed dated and even irrelevant to my seemingly modern problems. Therefore, much of my theology was based on my feelings and ideas instead of what was written in the Bible (His Word).

All of this confusion and ignorance led me to mistakenly believe with absolute conviction that God wanted me to enthusiastically charge down dangerous paths that promised a life ending with happily ever after. As a result, I got lost and ended up on a forbidden road that led to devastation with pieces of my life and the lives of so many others scattered everywhere. I know now that the only path leading to happily ever after is the path leading to Him. I also know now that the consequences of sin are usually widespread, hurting many others who get caught in the interpersonal explosion.

Despite this, what the devil intended for harm, God used for good (Genesis 50:20), because God doesn’t waste our pain or suffering even when we cause it. He uses it all, and He uses it all for good (Romans 8:28).

I was lost, and He found me. I was in bondage, and He freed me. I was afraid, and He comforted me. I was dying, and He saved me.

Because of what God did for me, I write to those of you who also need to be found, freed, comforted, and saved. To those who know that the mere pursuit of happiness is not nearly as fulfilling as the pursuit of holiness; those who realize there is more to life than simply living.

There is hope, and there is healing. And like me, you have a lifeline that is available to you: Jesus. Nothing more. Nothing less. And no matter how far you have drifted, He has never left your side.

But here’s the thing about a lifeline: you have to reach out and grab ahold of it.

This book seeks to help you do just that.

First, to help you discover your personal lifeline to Jesus, part 1 lays a proper foundation for understanding and applying the scriptures to your own life. We will dive into biblical stories of God’s faithfulness woven throughout the lives of many others who were called against all odds into various seasons of isolation, waiting, and suffering.

Next, to help you learn to trust your lifeline, part 2 examines the marvelously vast character of God as continually and consistently described throughout the pages of the Bible by the Lord Himself.

Finally, because a lifeline only rescues those who grab it and hold on to it, parts 3–5 peel back the layers of Psalm 91 verse-by-verse to help you apply His Word to your own life. Psalm 91 is one of my favorite go to passages when I find myself desperate and tempted to let go of my true lifeline and try to solve my problems on my own. When I try to be my own savior.

As you read, know that I have prayed for you. I have prayed that God would speak directly and intimately to you through the stories in this book. I have prayed that He will imprint His words on your own heart and that the Holy Spirit will remind you of them anytime you find yourself lost or in the middle of a storm. And, I have prayed that you will courageously respond to His call.

As you begin this journey, it is vital that you acknowledge God’s good plan for your life. But it is also necessary to acknowledge your three-part enemy (the world, your flesh, and the devil) who also has a plan for your life and will try to convince you that you have better things to do than learn and apply the truth of God’s Word. Remember that this enemy wants nothing more than to destroy any chance you have of living a life of faith-filled peace and joy. And he knows that the moment you grab your lifeline, his plan to destroy you is thwarted.

So be prepared to fight.

Be prepared to dig deep.

But mostly, be prepared to see the victory and the transformation in your life that occurs when you choose to grab and hold on tight to your lifeline: Jesus.

POINTS TO PONDER:

• The highway to happiness often leads you over a cliff to catastrophe.

• God performs miracles—not magic tricks.

• The only path leading to happily ever after is His.

• God doesn’t waste anything (including pain and suffering) but uses everything as He pieces together His awesome plan.

• Claiming to believe the truth of the gospel in order to secure your future in Heaven is not the same thing as breaking free from the chains of bondage and walking in it as truth. To bridge this gap, you must personalize it.

• The pursuit of happiness is not nearly as fulfilling as the pursuit of holiness.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

• Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32)

• Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

• Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’? (Genesis 3:1)

• You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. (Genesis 50:20)

• Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. (Jeremiah 1:5)

• Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

• Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12)

Part 1

DISCOVERING YOUR LIFELINE

CHAPTER 1

FOUNDATIONS

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

—John 1:4–5

S everal years ago, I realized we would be in big trouble should our house ever catch fire. The bedrooms are on the second floor, and the roofline combined with a sloped backyard create a major obstacle to escape. If the smoke didn’t kill us, the jump from the windows likely would. So I purchased several fire ladders to strategically place in each of the bedroom closets.

I suppose just the act of purchasing them and putting them in our closets gave me some sort of peace of mind because I checked that box and stopped worrying about fire.

But if I am being honest, I don’t have much confidence that those ladders would do us any good if the house went up in flames. Because to this day, they sit in their original boxes, hidden deep in the abyss of clothing and shoes.

I have not opened the boxes, read the directions, or even verified that the ladders are in working order. As a family, we have not run any drills to put them to the test. Yet I have this hope that if I ever need them, they won’t let me down. No pun intended.

Perhaps it is not wise to wait until the house is burning down to figure out how to use the fire escape ladder. What if it fails? What if it is broken or is lacking a screw or other vital piece?

The fact of the matter is that lifelines of this world will fail. Whether they are fire escape ladders or modern medicine, at some point, all of us will die, and our bodies will disintegrate.

However, as John 1:4 declares, every one of us has access to a lifeline that promises not to fail. It promises us eternal life for our souls and spirits—even new bodies. That lifeline is the Lord.

But just as with my fire escape ladder, you’ve got to open the instruction manual (the Bible) and get to know His character by allowing Him to prove Himself faithful.

READING GOD’S WORD

For as long as I can remember, I dreamed of having a little girl. I was so confident that God would give me a daughter that I held on to many things from my childhood so I could pass them along to her.

But when the time came, the decision to have a baby was not easy for me. Simple lab work gave me major anxiety, and I was terrified at the prospect of any type of surgery. Frightened as I was, I mustered up the courage to stop taking my birth control pills, and to our delight and surprise, we were soon expecting.

I planned to be that adorable, glowing pregnant woman who only had a small bulge in her middle and who felt wonderful. Instead, I gained an enormous amount of weight, was nauseated the entire time, and had zero energy due to low iron levels.

In the third trimester, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, which sent me into a full-blown panic because I had to learn to check my own blood sugar levels several times a day. I have a fear of needles, so pressing the button on the lancing device was a tremendous hurdle for me. Every time, I prayed that God would help me, and each time, He proved Himself faithful.

When I was somewhere around thirty weeks, concern started to grow about my condition, so I was placed on bedrest. By the time my baby’s due date rolled around, a series of complications led us to an emergency C-section.

But despite the fright, it was all worth it. And as I held my daughter for the first time, I have the distinct memory of hearing a voice (God) speak to me. The voice said, "This … this … is what you were made for."

I knew it was true. I was indeed made to be a mom. For as long as I can remember, I played the role. I played mom to my little sister, my friends growing up, and even my college roommates. I was the one cooking meals for people, making sure everyone had what they needed, taking care of those who got sick or injured, and responsibly driving everyone home after late-night parties.

I still do it. You should see all the stuff I carry around in my purse in case anyone needs something. I mean, I mother everyone—even my own mom.

Despite my desire for four children, I sensed that God’s plan was for me to have one. Though my husband was perfectly content with one, I remember feeling this struggle within my soul as we tried to decide whether to have another baby. My complications had been serious, and we both worried about how I would manage another pregnancy. But I was so afraid that my daughter would be lonely without siblings. Once again, I heard this gentle voice inside my head say, As long as she knows me, she won’t be lonely.

Though my past had certainly led me to find the Lord, there was still so much to discover about Him. At this point, I had not yet studied the Bible; nor did I really know how to defend my faith. First Peter 3:15 says to always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. And to be honest, I was not prepared, as I did not yet have a very good answer. Simply put, I was not mature enough in my own faith to be able to teach my daughter about God.

It was time to be intentional. Time to move from the decision to believe to the decision to follow.

Each night my husband and I read to our daughter from a children’s Bible. We took her to church, enrolled her in Christian schools, and made every effort to model our own faith to her.

When our daughter was three years old, a friend invited me to join her Bible study. The group was doing a study on Daniel taught by Beth Moore. Truth be told, I wasn’t all that excited to spend my coveted small amount of free time participating in a Bible study. Working out at the gym or shopping with friends looked far more attractive than working through a book that I had always found to be kind of boring and difficult to understand.

I wanted to support my friend, and I must admit that a little part of me found the idea of learning more about the Bible interesting (maybe even necessary), so I accepted the invitation.

Beth opened my eyes in ways no one ever had. Her passionate love of the Bible and Jesus was contagious. I wanted to have that same passion for my Lord and Savior. I wanted to know Him like she knew Him.

So I began to pray that very prayer, and I specifically asked God to give me that same kind of intense desire for Him and His Word. I knew the foundation of faith that rested in my spirit was a good start, but I needed to build upon it with some knowledge. I needed to be able to explain, not just to others but to myself as well, the reason for my faith.

A spark had ignited in my heart, and I prayed that He would breathe His holy breath on that little spark so the flame would grow into an inferno that no amount of water could extinguish, nor ladder could escape.

That is honestly all it took for things to start falling into place. Only then did God’s Word start to make sense. Only then were my eyes and ears opened as I began the journey that would forever change my life—and my daughter’s life.

Several years later, I enrolled in a class that explored the textbook Grasping God’s Word¹, written by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel