It is one thing to strap on a parachute and walk to a plane, but it is entirely different experience to jump out of the plane with the expectation of survival because of that parachute. There is a time when the safety demonstrations are over, the consent forms have been signed, the equipment inspected and fitted, and it is "go time." I do not believe a skydiver would jump out of the plane who is not convinced the odds of survival are high, but it requires a degree of faith in your training and equipment to do so.
It can take a life or death decision for people out of desperation to trust God. Similar to couch potatoes avoiding physical exercise, the tendency of people is the desire to avoid needing to trust God. We seek out easy and quick options to overcome obstacles or anything that offers a guarantee of success. We are ever seeking to reduce risk, limit liability, and make life carefree. But everyone living faces the necessity of dying, and even when immediate death is not a potential issue the cares and worries of life overwhelm us. It is only when we reach the end of our resources and ourselves that procrastinating is overturned by throwing ourselves upon the mercy of God like we should have done all along, resting and confident in His love and sovereignty.
Jacob believed God and he also procrastinated when faced with a dilemma: there was a terrible famine, there was an abundance of food in Egypt, Simeon had been jailed in Egypt, and his release was possible only if he would send his youngest son Benjamin back to Egypt. Jacob didn't like his options and he delayed until the food had almost run out. There was no scheme to circumvent the inevitable, no way of wriggling off the hook. Faced with the prospects of starvation of his household out of necessity Jacob sent all his remaining sons to Egypt and said in Genesis 43:13-14: "...Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man. 14 And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!" Though Jacob knew the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, and to him, he was unsure how things would end. "May God give you mercy, and whatever happens will happen."
Jacob's words bear a resemblance to those of Esther who also faced a life and death decision. She too was reluctant to take action because of the law of the Medes and Persians which gave the sentence of death to all who appeared before the king uninvited. As king he had the privilege to overturn the death penalty by extending the royal sceptre. Mordecai the Jew urged Queen Esther to use her privilege and access to beg for the lives of the Jewish people who had been condemned to death. He told Esther not to deceive herself to think she would escape the consequences of the law penned by wicked Haman, and that God would bring salvation to His people somehow. Her response in Esther 4:16 was, "Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!" Again, Esther trusted in God because the circumstances demanded it. She knew God but did not know what the future held: "If I perish, I perish."
These statements lead me to consider something Jesus Christ said when He looked towards Calvary. Jacob and Esther hoped not to die but didn't know what would happen: Jesus knew He would die and what God would accomplish through it. After Jesus prayed the Father would glorify His name and was answered with an affirmative by a voice from heaven, He said in John 12:30-33, "This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." 33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die." Jesus knew He would be lifted up from the earth like Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness and would draw all people to Himself to be saved. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus atonement was provided for the sins of the world and all who trust in Him receive forgiveness and eternal life. Because of who Jesus is we can face even life and death decisions with assurance of help, hope, and salvation because He has drawn us to Himself and holds us safe in His arms.
Our perspective can shift from "If I am bereaved, I am bereaved" or "If I perish, I perish" to what Paul was assured of: "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." This moves us beyond the "What will be will be" mindset to knowing what God has promised will ultimately come to pass in His sovereign way and in His time. We can go from saying, "It is what it is" to "I trust the awesome I AM." No one can snatch us out of His hands, and nothing can separate us from the love in Christ Jesus.
It can take a life or death decision for people out of desperation to trust God. Similar to couch potatoes avoiding physical exercise, the tendency of people is the desire to avoid needing to trust God. We seek out easy and quick options to overcome obstacles or anything that offers a guarantee of success. We are ever seeking to reduce risk, limit liability, and make life carefree. But everyone living faces the necessity of dying, and even when immediate death is not a potential issue the cares and worries of life overwhelm us. It is only when we reach the end of our resources and ourselves that procrastinating is overturned by throwing ourselves upon the mercy of God like we should have done all along, resting and confident in His love and sovereignty.
Jacob believed God and he also procrastinated when faced with a dilemma: there was a terrible famine, there was an abundance of food in Egypt, Simeon had been jailed in Egypt, and his release was possible only if he would send his youngest son Benjamin back to Egypt. Jacob didn't like his options and he delayed until the food had almost run out. There was no scheme to circumvent the inevitable, no way of wriggling off the hook. Faced with the prospects of starvation of his household out of necessity Jacob sent all his remaining sons to Egypt and said in Genesis 43:13-14: "...Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man. 14 And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!" Though Jacob knew the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, and to him, he was unsure how things would end. "May God give you mercy, and whatever happens will happen."
Jacob's words bear a resemblance to those of Esther who also faced a life and death decision. She too was reluctant to take action because of the law of the Medes and Persians which gave the sentence of death to all who appeared before the king uninvited. As king he had the privilege to overturn the death penalty by extending the royal sceptre. Mordecai the Jew urged Queen Esther to use her privilege and access to beg for the lives of the Jewish people who had been condemned to death. He told Esther not to deceive herself to think she would escape the consequences of the law penned by wicked Haman, and that God would bring salvation to His people somehow. Her response in Esther 4:16 was, "Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!" Again, Esther trusted in God because the circumstances demanded it. She knew God but did not know what the future held: "If I perish, I perish."
These statements lead me to consider something Jesus Christ said when He looked towards Calvary. Jacob and Esther hoped not to die but didn't know what would happen: Jesus knew He would die and what God would accomplish through it. After Jesus prayed the Father would glorify His name and was answered with an affirmative by a voice from heaven, He said in John 12:30-33, "This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." 33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die." Jesus knew He would be lifted up from the earth like Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness and would draw all people to Himself to be saved. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus atonement was provided for the sins of the world and all who trust in Him receive forgiveness and eternal life. Because of who Jesus is we can face even life and death decisions with assurance of help, hope, and salvation because He has drawn us to Himself and holds us safe in His arms.
Our perspective can shift from "If I am bereaved, I am bereaved" or "If I perish, I perish" to what Paul was assured of: "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." This moves us beyond the "What will be will be" mindset to knowing what God has promised will ultimately come to pass in His sovereign way and in His time. We can go from saying, "It is what it is" to "I trust the awesome I AM." No one can snatch us out of His hands, and nothing can separate us from the love in Christ Jesus.
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