Leap of Faith

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

Indiana Jones’ father is dying of a gunshot wound. The brave explorer has wound his way through a labyrinthine tomb in search of the one relic that would save him. Figuring out each clever riddle, he ends up at a doorway to oblivion. Before him, a gap too far to jump across, and below him a bottomless pit, a fall into which would surely kill him. For those who have seen the movie, Indie says it to himself and knows it to be true. “It’s a leap of faith.” He has to jump, and trust that the thing he does that will kill him is actually the very thing that will save him, and his father. So, he closes his eyes—and leaps!

Have you ever taken a leap of faith? Have you ever jumped out on a limb, knowing it shouldn’t hold you, but believing that it would? We live on faith all day, every day. Faith that the earth will keep turning and gravity will keep us on the ground. Faith that breathing in will give us the oxygen we need at every moment. Faith that if the airplane is going fast enough, the wings will lift it off the runway. But these aren’t really leaps of faith because we’ve observed these things over and over, and some trust is built up that things will keep going as they have in the past.

No, a leap of faith is trusting, as the writer of Hebrews reminds us, in something unseen. A conviction of belief for something we haven’t observed firsthand. It was a leap of faith for Daniel to brave the lion’s den. It was a leap of faith for Abraham to raise a knife to his son Isaac as a sacrifice by God’s command. It was a leap of faith for the Centurion to trust that his servant was healed on the word of Jesus alone.

God desires and blesses leaps of faith. He is glorified in those who trust in Him wholeheartedly, with nothing else to go on other than God is Who He says He is. After Jesus’ resurrection, Thomas wanted to see Jesus before he believed that He had been raised from the dead. And He did! When Jesus saw him, He said, “Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”(John 20:29). Are you willing to take a leap of faith? Are you willing to trust God on something, sight unseen?

God, help me to know how to take a leap of faith for You. I want to please You by the way I trust You. I know You will do what You have promised. So let my life bring glory to You by the way I live for You, and have faith in You, and give You the benefit of my doubts. In Jesus’s name, Amen.