Friday's Bread

Photo Source: Children's Ministry

It was my turn to write the Bread, a Christian devotional, this past week. Yesterday's was inspired by Sunday's sermon at church, and the pastor had this photo up while he spoke. Here's Friday's Bread:

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

This past Sunday our pastor, who had been a missionary in Swaziland for four years, told the congregation about impalas. They’re beautiful animals with gracefully curving horns, and they can leap amazing heights and distances. Impalas can jump up to ten feet high, and they go up to thirty feet in distance.

You might think it would take tall fences to keep them penned in at zoos, but that’s not the case. Most zoos can keep impalas from escaping with a surrounding wall only three feet high, because impalas will only jump to where they can see where their feet will land. The solid wall is enough to block their view of what lies ahead, and they won’t take any chances.

How many of us live our lives like impalas, afraid to step out in faith when we can’t see where our steps will take us? How many times have we hesitated when we’ve received direction from the Lord, waiting for Him to give us more explanation than just His simple, “Go”? True faith means leaping anyway, because we have the reassurance that what we do not see is nevertheless certain when it is God’s will for us. No matter what lies ahead, He will see us through.

What leap of faith is the Lord asking you to make? What guidance is He giving you that makes you feel insecure in your own strength? Let us separate ourselves from the instincts of animals—particularly prey animals—and instead move boldly forward in certainty of what we do not see.

May we leap in faith in the will of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.