It’s Time to Jump

In September 1968, the television show “The Land of the Giants” made its debut on ABC Sunday nights. Before I saw an episode, I already had the official lunch box.
Remember, in grade school, picking out a lunch box that conveniently came with the matching thermos was a major decision, as the wrong choice could put you in cafeteria Siberia. I wish I still had some of those lunchboxes because they are worth a fortune on eBay. My Beatles one, alone, could pay for my son, Joel’s, college tuition.
“The Land of the Giants” was another program created by then science fiction wiz Irwin Allen. He also gave us “Lost In Space” and “Voyage To The Bottom of the Sea,” to name a few.
“Land of the Giants’” premises took us 15 years into the then-future year of 1983. The series tells the tale of the crew and passengers of a transport ship named “Spindrift.” Unfortunately, while on route from Los Angeles to London, something went wrong, and somehow, the aircraft was dragged through a space warp and was forced to crash land on a mysterious planet, where everything is 12-times larger than on earth.
Each week, we see the perilous adventures of the tiny seven little people survive by obtaining food and avoiding capture by the giants or attacks from oversized animals, such as cats, dogs, ravens and, my favorite, the gopher. They work hard to repair their spacecraft so they can attempt to return to Earth.
They manage to succeed mostly because the giants are downright dumb. While they have a great advantage in size, they are inept when it comes to using their brains and brawn to send these little people to their tiny graves.
Maybe, being so big isn’t that great after all. I can remember always being the tallest guy in my class. My size set me to acquire poor habits.
While playing basketball in gym class, I never had to jump. I would put up my long arms and take the ball away. There came a day, though, when my strategy of keeping my feet on the ground backfired.
The shorter players had to jump to make the grade, and there came a day when those spunky guards would outjump and outplay me. I will never forget when my coach said, “Sheptock, you might be six-four, but you operate like you are five-eight because you don’t get any air under you.”
Sometimes, being bigger can make some take their size for granted. Being smarter, too, can trigger the belief of knowing it all.
Having been blessed with so much here, in America, we sometimes stop trusting God and exercising our faith in such a way that it grows. As I observe our country amid another month of pandemic, protests and politics, I don’t see enough humility. I hear Christians calling for revival, but that kind of move from God only comes when the Lord’s people begin to confess their sins and admit that they haven’t been as faithful in following Jesus. I wonder if believers are more upset over 2020’s inconvenience when they should be on their knees pursuing the Lord’s will and way like never before.
God takes faith seriously and is not a fan of those who say the right words while their hearts are on another continent. If we want God to run the world His way, we must repent begging for ours.
Could it be that we have had it too easy as American Christians? Are we ready to admit that we have depended more upon our reputation of being big rather than humbly surrendering every minute to God so that our souls can grow, too? How can we say that we would follow the Lord, no matter where He takes us, when we don’t even follow Him across the street?
This is not a season to whine about the mistaken good old days, looking for easier, more comfortable lodging. It’s a serious Bible boot camp, where we can’t talk the talk but we be willing to walk the walk, step by step, in our Savior’s footprints.
Is it time for Christ’s church to fulfill His promise that the gates of hell could not stand against it? How would we know if the Scriptures are true if we don’t allow God to prove it in each of us? Could it be time for us to start jumping as we reach up to what God has for us? Could it be that the giants we face might be bigger but, spiritually speaking, come up too small in what leads to eternity?
God has already informed us that there will be some severe trials and tribulations before we go to paradise. There are no get-out-of-jail-free cards or easy rides that allow you to pass, go and collect $200. However, there is a promise from our Creator that He will never forsake us as we shine our lights to alert those who think life in the dark is normal.
Our ultimate salvation is not in a vaccine. Our ticket to ride the freedom train won’t be found in defunding the police and destroying people and their property. Our hope and future are not tied to who the next president will be.
Jesus taught us that God is larger than any earthly giants. God loves the world’s population, even while He judges and we experience the consequences from the poor choices His people have made. This is why this is no time to kick our hearts into neutral.
It is time for Christians, who wear God’s name, to practice what Jesus preached, get on their knees and trust Him. We need to worship Him loud and proud and take our faith to the streets. We need to get on our feet and jump.
Pursue Jesus like NBA players do rebounds, and if we do, I believe that we will see God perform mighty work in our day.
ED. NOTE: The author is the senior pastor at The Lighthouse Church, 1248 Route 9 South, Court House.