Come on, Jump!

On Wednesday, I had to meet with Bill Sopher for a finance exchange.  I called him on his cell phone and he told me he was at the park in town with his daughter Sarah, because it was her birthday.  I said to Bill, "Bill, you are exactly where you are suppose to be.  That's awesome".  Then he said, "Come to the park, I'll be here for while".  So, Maria and I headed over to the park, and in my mind, I was thinking there would be a birthday party of some sort.  When I arrived, I saw Bill and Sarah (9) by themselves.  He didn't know I had arrived, and I just stood back for about 10 minutes watching them, I couldn't intrude on what I was seeing.  

There is his daughter Sarah (which means princess) sitting on top of the monkey bars with her hair blowing in the wind and her feet dangling.  Then there was Bill, her Abba, standing below her with his arms stretched upward calling to her "Come on, jump!  Jump Sarah, I'll catch you!"  "No, I can't!" she would say, "it's too high!"  "Yes, you can, I'll catch you, come on!"  (As I watched this exchange, I realized that there was NO IMPATIENCE in Bill.... no indication that he was getting frustrated with her at all... their eyes were locked on each others eyes like there was no one else around...)  "Come on, jump, I'll catch you!"  As her legs swung back and forth, I could tell she wanted to jump but kept hesitating, yet had this exuberant smile on her face knowing her daddy was right there)  Again Bill says, "Come on, jump, I'll catch you!" and then she says, "I'm afraid of heights, I'll fall" and then, this is was pierced my heart, Bill says "Sarah, before I'd let you fall, I'd fall and catch you"  My breath was taken away by this as I realized the Lord was speaking to me.  This papa stood there for 10 minutes straight with his arms in the air... never tiring, never loosing patience, never becoming frustrated, but simply smiling and laughing and encouraging his "princess" to jump in to his arms...

Friends.... this pierced my heart.  This is our Abba Father.  This is the heart of God, asking us to trust Him, to jump into His arms, TO TRUST HIM WITH THE OUTCOME if we relinquish our fears and TRUST OUR ABBA TO CATCH US.....are you in a place where God is asking you to "jump"?  To believe?  To trust Him even though you cannot see the outcome?  Is He speaking to you about serving in a capacity you feel you are unequipped for, incapable of?  REMEMBER, IT IS HE THAT DOES THE WILLING AND THE WORKING, WHAT HE IS ASKING OF YOU IS TO SAY "YES, LORD, I TRUST YOU WITH MY LIFE"  This simple trust ravishes the heart of God.

I have been listening to a song all week by Justin Rizzo that I have ended up praying over and over again.   It's called "momentary light affliction"  The lyrics go like this:

I set my eyes on what I cannot see, I set my mind on the eternal, (2x)

For You are my great reward,  forever I will be with you (2x)

I know that, this momentary light affliction is working in me, an eternal weight of glory, an eternal weight of glory (4x)

For you are God and You know what You want and you know how you'll get it the fastest way

And you give and take away, but you're the initiator....

For you are God and You know what You want and you know how you'll get it the fastest way

With the least amount of pain, but there will be pain, it's guaranteed...

Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds

The testing of your faith, it develops perseverance

Perseverance is needed to run the race!

Oh, consider it pure joy!  Consider it pure joy!

This is my confidence, (3x) I'm living for another age....

Rance's message at church last night was on the judgement seat of Christ, about what works will be burned up and what will last the test of fire.  Our home is not on this earth.  We are on a pilgrimage, passing through.  And everyday is a new day with Him, another day of opportunity to walk with HIm, talk with HIm, and surrender and submit to His ways, and HE IS ALWAYS GOOD.  Even in pain, trauma, and the worst possible scenarios we can imagine - HE IS FAITHFUL, AND HE IS ALWAYS GOOD.  

"COME ON, JUMP!"

SIT AT HIS FEET THIS WEEKEND, READ THE WORD AND WORSHIP HIM.

TURN OFF THE COMPUTER.  TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONE.  PUT THE RINGER ON MUTE ON YOUR PHONE AND LET THE ANSWERING MACHINEMACHING PICK IT UP.

SPEND TIME WITH YOUR KING, HE LOVES YOU SO MUCH.

Shabbat Shalom