PULL THE RIP CORD OF FAITH

Solid Ground daily devotionals by Mark Finley

 

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit: for without Me you can do nothing. John 15:5

Sandy’s friends craned their necks up at the blue sky and caught her tiny figure hurling itself out of the plane. This was her first time to jump without a line, and this time Sandy was going to pull the rip cord herself.

Her friends far below counted with her – one one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand. But the parachute didn’t open. Nothing was happening. They waited as Sandy fell farther and farther. Why didn’t she pull the rip cord? If something was wrong, what about her reserve chute?

Tragically, this young woman plummeted all the way to the ground and died instantly. When the ground crew rushed to the site, they noticed her parachute still folded neatly in the pack on her back. What had happened?

Then they saw the cloth of her jumpsuit torn away on the right side of her chest. It seemed as if she’s been desperately clawing at it. In fact, she’s dug through her clothing and actually lacerated her flesh with her fingers. The terrible truth dawned on them. Her rip cord was on her left side! In a moment of panic she had forgotten and kept pulling and yanking and clawing at the rip cord on the right, but it wasn’t there.

Is it possible that we are frantically pulling on a rip cord that isn’t there? Any time we trust in our own strength to overcome temptation we are pulling on a cord that isn’t there. Any time we trust our own power to overcome the enemy we are diving for disaster. It wasn’t that Sandy didn’t put forth any effort – she was frantic. She tried as hard as she could. Her problem was that her effort was misplaced.

The Scriptures make two counterbalancing statements. The first says, “I can do nothing.” The second says, “I can do all things.” Jesus said, “Without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Without Him all of our best efforts are in vain. Without Him we are powerless. Without Him all of our best efforts are doomed to failure. “Human effort avails nothing without divine power” (Prophets and Kings, p. 487).

The apostles pulls the right rip cord when triumphantly declares, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). Through Jesus the weak become strong. In His strength and power we are overcomers. Our Lord has never lost a battle with the enemy. He is not about to begin now. Grasp His power. Fight in His strength. Yield to His grace. Pull the rip cord of faith.