“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 you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 NASB
What a beautiful promise from our Father!
My family recently returned from a boating trip to Lake Havasu. While riding on the boat, we stopped in small coves a couple of times; I took my two-year old son, Abel, out to swim with me. He has always been pretty hesitant when it comes to water. After putting on my life jacket and grabbing a floating swim noodle, I picked up my cautious son (in his own life jacket), and we gently got into the lake. Abel was safely floating in my arms with his head high above the water.
Immediately after entering the water, Abel began requesting that we return to the safety of the boat. As we floated farther away I looked into my son’s anxious eyes and assured him that there was nothing to be afraid of. I told him, “Son, everything is going to be okay. You are safe. Your daddy is holding you and he will not let anything bad happen to you.”
Abel soon calmed down and began to actually enjoy the experience of being in the refreshing lake with his daddy. We laughed together, splashed in the water and Abel even started to yell back at the boat for his mommy and friends to watch him as he swam. What a joy it was to see my son trust me for his safety and for his enjoyment.
As this all unfolded, I was reminded how this can be like my relationship with my Father. I can squirm in fear when God asks me to trust Him and take the plunge of faith into the unknown waters of life. All the while, He has buckled me into a life jacket of salvation and holds me firmly in His loving embrace.
May we all learn to trust our “Daddy” even more and never forget the promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deut. 31:6).
Taking the plunge,
Caleb
Posted in A Word from the Pastor