Wednesday, May 23, 2007
LEAP OF FAITH
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| Subscribe Unsubscribe Change E-mail View Archive LEAP OF FAITH Contributed by Marion Smith May 23, 2007 |
not seen." Hebrews 11:1.
We have many beautiful hardwood trees in our back yard. They are all
sizes, from Dogwoods to mighty Oaks. There are two large trees in
particular, with their trunks about 25 yards apart. A branch from each of these trees almost touches the other in mid air, but there is a span of four or five feet with only empty space.
Jimmie and I have named those particular branches "the squirrel
highway". We can see the squirrels, especially in the winter, run up
the tree, across one branch and then take that "leap of faith" onto
the branch of the other tree. Perhaps squirrels have an inner sense,
and are able to judge distances well, but it looks like risky business from my viewpoint. I always hold my breath until the furry little creature is safely on the other side. I have seen many squirrels cross this chasm over the years and have never once seen one fall. Their long jumps have always been successful.
People put their faith into something everyday. Newlyweds may put
their faith in each other, or businessmen may put their faith in
financial success. Material accumulations or social prestige may be
where our faith lies. We also put faith in the mundane things of
everyday lifeelectricity, working for us as we arise each morning,
faith that the car will start, that the day will go as scheduled, and
meals will be prepared and served. We put faith in all sorts of
things; the list goes on and on. But God tells us to put our faith in
Him. There are over 300 references to the word "faith" in the
concordance to the Bible, which makes me realize this is a subject God says is important.
In scripture, we have many stories about faith. They start with
Abraham's faith in the book of Genesis, and the references to faith
continue through the book of Revelation. The stories of faith give us
insight into Biblical characters and their relationship to God, and
they encourage us in our own personal faith walks.
A good definition of faith is found in the Bible: Hebrews 11:1. It
says that "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." The beginning point of faith is believing in God's character. He IS who He says He is! Next, we must believe God's
promises. He will do what He says. We find these promises in the
Bible, and no matter what our circumstances, we must cling to His
eternal truths. Faith is a gift from God. It starts out small in our
hearts, but grows as we become closer to God through our daily walk
with Him.
Thank you, Lord for helping me take "leaps of faith" when the abyss
seems too wide to cross, and the fall would be too great to bear. I
know you are never going to leave or forsake me.
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