A Leap of Faith

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” - Hebrews 11:6

Yesterday evening I took a huge leap of faith!  No, really, I’m very serious!  My friend Levi and I decided to go swimming after a run around the Winona lake and the swimming hole as two places to jump off.  The first way to jump is to swing off the rope and fly into the water.  The second way is to climb one of the trees and jump off the branch that hangs over the water.  It took be a bit of coaxing, but I climbed to the top of the tree and jumped a little more than 2 stories into the water!  The moment right before I adjusted my weight to jump I had a thought about God being our Shepherd. I’m pretty sure it had something to do with being on the edge of getting hurt and wanting His protection!  I couldn’t entertain the thought for very long, seeing as I was quickly soaring to the water, but now that I’m on solid ground again this reminder of having a strong shepherd protecting me is really encouraging.

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” - Hebrews 11:1

A leap of faith is taken with out analyzing the situation.  It’s a rapid trust that sets like instant pudding.  There is a simple ingredient, simple instructions and no trick to it!  You simply hand God your heart, hold on and obey, and before you know it you’re standing on solid ground again (Sorry… no dessert)!  Standing on the end of the branch safely holding on provided a perfect situation to analyze how far up I was.  If I had spent 5 minutes thinking about it, I probably wouldn’t have jumped. I know this may seem like it could be a cliche analogy, but it really can’t get much clearer than this for me.  Faith requires stepping from the known to the unknown.  The steps God asks us to take are usually pretty big and require His help, His provision and His love.  When we try to take those big steps with out faith… it’s like jumping out of a tree onto cement… not water!  We have to put that trust in God’s ability to see more than we can see.  He understands more than we can wrap our tiny minds around and that there is a much bigger plan then just our life!

Climbing the tree before I jumped was scary at first. The steps were these little chunks of 2×4 that had about 8 nails in each one.  They weren’t evenly spaced, they were slippery and there were A LOT of them!  The other people that were there kept encouraging me to keep climbing and eventually I reached the top.  I stood there almost paralyzed for about 45 seconds before I decided to jump.  Once I started falling and my stomach filled with intense excitement I knew it was worth that moment of panic and fear.  I think this totally relates to the steps of faith that God calls us to.  We don’t like the looks of it before we even start taking the step, we get scared and uneasy while taking the steps and then when it comes to the BIG step, we forget all the other steps that God was holding us through and freak out!  However, once we step past that fear our eyes are opened up to the abundant blessings of God’s love for us.  With out that leap of faith in God, we’ll always remain blind to His ways.

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.” - Psalm 23:1-3

The world offers many providers… healthcare, food, gizmos, toys, lustful interests… too many!  We have to trust the true provider.  Why do we always get cold feet and hesitate to leap into God’s arms?  He is the safest and most secure provider we could put our life on the line for.  There are always going to be moments in life when we are lost and confused, but maybe it’s because were trying to climb up all the wrong trees with NO steps!  Jonah tried running from God, and that landed him in the belly of a whale.  Is it really worth avoiding a leap of faith just to scoot around being uncomfortable? In this day and age, I don’t think any of us can afford wasting our time trying to convince ourselves that we’ll eventually discover another way.  God’s way is the only way.  His pasture is always going to be greener than ours!  His water is always going to bring life!  The Lord is our Shepherd and in Him we’ll never want!  All our needs will be provided for and fulfilled.  A quote by St. Augustine says “Love God and do as you please.” That sounds pretty bad at first, but if we are truly seeking after God then His desires will become our desires and life will be good!  We’ll always be content in what God has given us and we’ll always be striving for His path of righteousness.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.” - Psalm 23:4

Leaping into God’s arms takes faith.  It’s not something for the weakhearted.  God’s call to join His kingdom is one that requires a divine strength to withstand all fears, doubts and heights that we are called to.  Most people look at what faith requires and give up because they can’t do it, but isn’t that the point?  Our relationship with God is not one of independence, but DEPENDENCE!  We have to rely on Him for everything!  Is it that hard to let go of our controlling tendencies and give in to a God that loves us?  I dare you to take the next leap of faith that God calls you to.  Open up your arms, don’t look down (look UP!) and jump into the arms of your Father… who loves you, delights in you and provides for you!