Jump Start # 3415

Isaiah 41:10 “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

First, let me say that I am alive. Second, let me say that it was amazing. Third, let me say that it was intense. Last Thursday I went sky diving. Yes, you read that right. Old me, went skydiving. It was not on my bucket list. It was not on any list of mine. My youngest son, Joel, works for a doctor. Last Christmas he bought the two of them skydiving gift certificates. The doc declined. Next in line was dear ole’ dad. All year we have kicked the can down the road of when we were going to do this. I happened to be in his area last week preaching so we scheduled it for last Thursday. My sweet wife offered to repay the price of the gift certificates if we wouldn’t go. She wasn’t worried about us going splat on the ground, but more so of having a stroke or heart attack on the way down.

So we did it. My son is fearless. I passed fearless many decades ago and am very cautious and conservative. I will say that it was amazing. We jumped tantum, which means an instructor is strapped very snugly to you. They got us all harnessed up and checked it two or three times by different people. Several were there to jump, but it was just Joel, myself, our tantum instructors, and two photographers who jumped first to take photos of us.

The side door of the plane opened, like a garage door. The first photographer jumped. My instructor scooted me to the opening. Before I could have a moment, out the door we fell. That part was scary, intense and I thought I was going to die. I had in my mind that as we free fell it would be like a roller coaster, so fast and scary. But it wasn’t. Even though we were falling fast, it was smooth and the view was amazing. He pulled the parachute cord and we floated like a feather all the way down. Joel was doing spins and hard turns as he came down, but I told my man that I didn’t want that.

We landed and realized what we had just done, we high fived our instructors and hugged each other. Would I do it again? I don’t think my wife has that in her to go through that again. I’m not sure I do either.

Our verse today reminds us of fearful times and anxious moments. Unlike sky diving, those moments most times are not willful choices that we make. A sudden car accident. A simple medical exam that leads to more tests and the dreaded word, “Cancer.” Fearful, anxious and unsure, our passage gives us four wonderful thoughts to carry in our hearts.

First, the text tells us more than do not fear. That’s hard to do when you are scared. But the way through that fear is to know that the Lord is with us. That’s the promise of Psalms 23 and those dark valleys of death. Daniel saw that. Shadrach saw that. Moses saw that. Noah saw that. Peter saw that. There were moments when they looked death in the face and were scared, but God was with them.

Second, do not anxiously look around you. Don’t look around, look up. Look up to the Lord. Looking around, we see all the reasons to be afraid. Outnumbered. Out armed. Out of options. When all we look at are our problems, then fear will get the best of us. Don’t look around, unless you are sky diving.

Third, I am your God. What a great statement of comfort and hope. He didn’t just say, “I am the Lord,” or “I Am that I Am.” Instead, the passage reminds us, the Lord is OUR God. Remember how Jesus taught the disciples to pray? “Pray this way,” He said. “Our Father who art in Heaven.” Our Father. Our God. There is a relationship. A belonging. A fellowship between us. He knows us and we know Him.

And, with God, all things are possible. And, with God, the greatest hope, help and love is found. Don’t be afraid. I am your God. Pray hard. Dig deeply into His word.

Fourth, I will strengthen you, I will help you. It’s one thing to have God near, but if He wasn’t going to do anything, we’d still fight our battles alone. But He is more than just there. He provides strength. He will help. He can open doors that seem impossible to open. He can move hearts that seem closed. He can put people together. When everyone else says, “there is no hope,” God can still do things. He sees what no one else sees. He is already in tomorrow.

Notice, the passage doesn’t say that God will take away the cause of our fear. That’s what we want. Remove it and then we will be find. Rather, God will help you and strengthen you so you can face it. Don’t run from your giants or lions. Face them. Face them, not on your own. Face them, not with your might. Rather, face them with God. The victory always belongs to the Lord.

For about 8,000 feet, last Thursday, I was falling rapidly to the earth. The chute opened, and I was like a bird drifting gently back to where I belong. And, the Lord kept me safe.

Roger