Leap of Faith

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step."  ~ Martin Luther King Jr

 

Oh how I wish the reward of having faith is as quickly revealed as it is in this video below.  Who remembers Indian Jones and the Last Crusade when he has to literally take a 'step of faith' off a cliff?

I love the analogy of this video. 

First he sees what looks like an insurmountable task.  To get from point A to point B without dying first.

Then he remembers, 'Its a leap of Faith'.  However it does not bring peace on his face or ease his anxiety....he still has to 'take' that step of Faith.

Knowing you have to take a step of faith and doing it are two different things. 

While you know you have to, the reality ...... or what we perceive as the reality is staring us in the face.  And, what we have to do, in Faith, can seem illogical or even absurd at times.

Then you do it.  You take that step, and you don't fall.  The relief, the exhale of gratitude!

But its not done yet.  You still have to walk on the path that Faith lead you.

So many times in my past, I go so far as to take the step of faith, and begin to walk it - then at the first loose rock, or slippery gravel - take my eye off of the One who not only put me on this path but directed my foot on that first step.  Or I become tired of the path, it seems so long, too hard. 

Then I abandon it.  I turn around and return to where I came from, or worse just jump off and end up with personal turmoil and problems that were never intended.

This video clip, this reality is mine right now.  I took a step of faith, and I am confident that it is the step that God directed me to take through prayer.  However, there have been attacks along the way.

Fear rises up....what if 'this' happens?  What if 'that' happens?  My mind becomes obsessed with contingency plans, and the pit of my stomach begins to sour....just at the mere idea that something might go wrong.

Then I realize.  Yes, those fears are valid.  Something 'might' go wrong.  However, I am not alone.  As long as I stay on the path that is set before me, I am never alone.  

It is so cleaver how the enemy of you and I knows exactly what buttons to push.  And, for a moment or two we may allow him to take us there.  But when we are there, the reason it is so scary, so frightening, so bad.. is because you envision yourself...alone...trying to figure out what to do...by yourself....and then failing....on your own.

Isolation and Fear

Those are his weapons.  However, we are not alone.  We are never alone with God, and He does not give us a spirit of Fear.

So when you are faced with stepping out in faith, and you are caught up in the fear of what 'might' happen.

Stop.

Pray.

Listen to God.

Everyone would have understood if Ruth decided to stay in Moab, but she showed great faith by going to Bethlehem. By taking that step forward she placed herself in a vulnerable position where she had to trust God to protect her, to open doors and to provide for her. Interestingly, it was this very move, this very step of faith, that opened her to the relationship with Boaz, who became her husband.
When we take that step forward we force ourselves into a dependence on God that wouldn’t be possible if we just sat on the edge of cliff....waiting.

We are God's people, and his promises in the Bible endure forever.

Hebrews 11:6 It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.

In fact, if you want to feel energized, just read Hebrews 11.  All of Hebrews 11.  It is an amazing account of time after time when people stepped out in Faith!