Life verses: Isaiah 40:31 RUMC June 4, 2017

Life verses: Isaiah 40:31

RUMC June 4, 2017

One night a house caught fire and a young boy was forced to flee to the roof. The father stood on the ground below with outstretched arms, calling to his son, "Jump! I'll catch you." He knew the boy had to jump to save his life. All the boy could see, however, was flame, smoke, and blackness. Naturally, he was afraid to jump. His father kept yelling, "Jump! I will catch you." Nevertheless, the boy protested, "Daddy, I can't see you." The father replied, "But I can see you and that's all that matters."

1.         God promised Abram that he would have a son... 24 years passed and no son was born to Sarah. Abraham said, “God, I can’t see you.” God replied, "But I can see you and that's all that matters."

2.         Joseph was given dreams that he would become a ruler. Instead, his brothers sold him into slavery and imprisonment for 13 years. Joseph said, “God, I can’t see you.” God replied, "But I can see you and that's all that matters."

3.         Moses felt called to lead the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt. He fought with an Egyptian and ended up killing him. Moses became a fugitive from justice for 40 years. He cried out, “God, I can’t see you.” God replied, "But I can see you and that's all that matters."

4.         Samson was supposed to fight the Philistines, but because he messed up, he was blinded. So how could a blind man fulfill his calling? Sampson said, “God, I can’t see you.” God replied, "But I can see you and that's all that matters."

5.         Lazarus became ill. His two sisters sent for Jesus, but Jesus did not come right away. Lazarus finally died, and was placed in the tomb. When Jesus arrived, it was too late. Martha berated Jesus “If you had been here my brother would not have died. Where is God when we need him the most?” In other words, “God, I can’t see you.” OIn Jesus, God replied, "But I can see you and that's all that matters."

Scott Knudtson chose Isaiah 40:31 as his life verse.

“Those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength,

    they shall mount up with wings like eagles,

they shall run and not be weary,

    and they shall walk and not faint.”

He chose that verse because there was a time in his life when he couldn’t see God.

Scott’s friend, Pastor Phil from North Carolina, kept telling him, “Scott, read Isaiah 40:31.” Scott never did. Pastor Phil helped Scott with all kinds of troubles in his life.

•           He’d help with troubled relationships and say, “Scott, read Isaiah 40:31.” But he never did.

•           Pastor Phil helped with Scott’s negative attitude and said “Scott, read Isaiah 40:31.” But he never did. 

•           Pastor Phil helped him with his struggle with alcohol and said, “Scott, read Isaiah 40:31.”

Finally one day, with nothing to lose, Scott sat down, and read Isaiah 40:31

“Those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength,

    they shall mount up with wings like eagles,

they shall run and not be weary,

    they shall walk and not faint.”

Over the course of a month or so, Scott read the verse a few more times and it began to sink in. As he read it more and more, it began to take root. As Scott continued to read the passage, it began to change him.

•           Scott held on to the promise of Isaiah 40:31 and 7 years ago, God freed him of his alcohol abuse.

•           Scott continued to read Isaiah 40:31... And God helped him with his negative attitude about himself and life.

•           Scott continues to read Isaiah 40:31 and through it, God continues to change him and shape him today.

Like all those Biblical characters, it was as though in desperation Scott was standing on the roof saying, “God I can’t see you.” And God responded over and over, "But I can see you and that's all that matters."

No wonder this is a popular, passage. Because in some way, some days, or some seasons in our lives we are all like the little child on the roof, saying, “I can’t see you daddy.” And God replies over and over again, “But I can see you, and that is all that matters.”

 As I look a little closer at the passage, I wondered what the word “wait” meant… I hoped it would mean something profound. It does not. Frankly, wait just means “wait.”

Waiting is hard:

•           waiting for the doctor,

•           waiting for the college acceptance letter,

•           waiting for the job interview,

•           waiting for the car to be repaired. There are, however, two kinds of waiting. One is passive waiting; tapping our toe waiting for time to pass, or for the clerk to finish with the person in front of us.

 The other might be called pregnant waiting; like

•           waiting for that precious baby to be born.

•           Or waiting for that wonderful last day of school.

•           Or waiting for a loved one to get off the plane.

 There is just plain waiting and then there is pregnant waiting…

•           Waiting in anticipation.

•           Waiting in trust.

•           Waiting in hope.

Isaiah doesn’t just say wait… he says those who wait will ...in other words, there is a for those who

•           Wait in anticipation.

•           Wait in trust.

•           Wait in hope.

 The promise is those who wait upon the lord will renew their strength. The word renew in this passage means “get something new or change.” We might say to exchange.

•           Those who wait upon the Lord will exchange their weakness for God’s strength. 

•           Those who wait upon the Lord will exchange their inability for God’s ability. 

•           Those who wait upon the Lord will exchange their hopeless situation for one that is filled with hope and possibility because “God can see you, and that is all that matters.”

1.         Abraham exchanged his hopelessness for faith, and was given  Isaac

2.         Joseph exchanged his betrayal, for a seat beside Pharaoh.

3.         Moses exchanged his comfortable shepherd’s life, for the freedom of a whole nation.

4.         Samson exchanged his sight, for an opportunity to gain a legendary victory for God.

5.         Martha exchanged her grief for trust, and got her brother back.

Scott Knudtson exchanged his alcohol and negative attitude for a whole new life in Christ.

One day took the risk of  exchanging my tool belt for a pulpit; not realizing that I was really exchanging selfishness and hopelessness for a life of serving Christ and proclaiming hope.

 What about you?

Where are your struggles?

•           Finances,

•           medical situations,

•           your mental health,

•           your job,

•           your family,

•           your self-esteem,

•           your joy,

•           your hope… where do you struggle.

I wish I could tell you that God will fix it today. I can’t. Maybe God will, but I can’t promise that.

I can promise, however, that if you wait expectantly, doing the best you can, one step at a time;

•           If you wait with anticipation…

•           If you wait in trust…

•           If you wait in hope.

•           If you wait upon the Lord,

You too will exchange your despair for hope

You will exchange your negativity for Joy.

You will exchange your brokenness for healing

You will exchange your blindness for sight

You will exchange your fear for courage

You will exchange your confusion for clarity

You will exchange your paralysis for wings like eagles.

You will exchange you exhaustion for running without being weary.

You will exchange your weakness for walking and not fainting.

For today, however, we wait… Waiting in anticipation is hard… just as the little boy said “Dad, I can’t see you.” Our faith takes a beating, our hope is broken, our sense of future is distorted, and we say, “God I can’t see you?”

But God responds from somewhere on the other side of the smoke

•           “Don’t worry I can see you and that is all that matters.”

•           “Don’t worry I love you and that is all that matters.”

•           “Don’t worry I have a plan for you and that is all that matters.”

•           “Don’t worry you are my child, and I am your God, and that is all that matters.”

Go ahead … jump… and God will renew your strength

God will lift you up with wings like eagles,

you shall run and not be weary,

    you shall walk and not faint.”

Thanks be to God.

AMEN