Taking a Leap of Faith

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder for those who diligently seek him."

Hebrews 11:1, 6

"The just shall live by faith."

Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38

"Steppin' out on nothin' and findin' something there

Tellin' the doubt to wait, wait, wait

I'm takin' a step of faith."

Carman Licciardello

As Christians we have been called to a life of faith. In my own life I have seen little breakthrough without some level of faith preceding it. There have been a few times in which God has surprised me with something that I was not at all expecting but the vast majority of times He expected me to first take a step of faith. To move out and trust Him that He would take care of the unknowns. 

Four times throughout scripture the phrase is repeated, "The just [righteous] shall live by faith." This statement does not give an option. If you are looking to be just or righteous before God then you shall live by faith. It's not suggested, it's not requested, it is simply stated that this is how it is. 

Antoher thing that can be seen from the short statement is that we are to live by faith. It is not something that we just pull out for certain moments or difficult situations. It's not something that we use when we make a particularly difficult prayer, it is something that we live by. 

Faith should be a part of our day to day life. 

We should be putting out faith in Him each day and stepping out in trust at several opportunities. We should be making bold prayers each day. Prayers for healing, prayers for miracles, prayers for salvation. These prayers should be for others as much as they are for ourselves. We hould be willing to step out and offer to lay hand on those around us who are dealing with sickness or struggling in their marriage. 

Still there are times where God calls us to step out even more in faith. Instead of a step of faith sometimes these feel like leaps. I have had several of these moments throughout my life and I can attest that God has always come through. Below I have listed a few of my own, and my family's, leaps of faith to encourage you. This is not an extensive list but a few over the course of my life. Each of these were steps made following the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Personal Leaps of Faith:

2000 - Joined speech team despite being terrified of public speaking - Recieved miraculous deliverance from that fear
2002 - Left home for the first time to go to Bible School in Ohio - Had numerous encounters with God over the two years preparing me for future ministry
2005 - Chose to go to the Philippines despite having no money and only a month to prepare, then chose to go again later in the year despite still owing money for the first trip - God provided enough money to pay off the first trip, cover the second trip and have some extra in one night of giving at church.
2006 - Decided to stay on as a staff in the DTS despite not having built support or even having the money for a plane ticket to return to Germany - God provided all needed, led me to many experiences of ministering around the world and grew me tremendously as a leader and a preacher. I also met my wife due to this decision.
2009 - Followed my then fiance to Ethiopia from Germany, prepared our wedding, then moved to Oregon with no income or job lined up - God provided for everything and connected us with old friends who helped us settle in Oregon. He also provided an opportunity to minister to the youth at Connection Church.
2017 - My wife and I followed God's prompting to move our family across the US from Oregon to Virginia. - God gave us both jobs right away and used the experience to give me further direction in my education and calling - more to come!

What is the step of faith God is leading you to take today? What is holding you back from taking it?

For further encouragement on taking a step of faith you can read these older posts from my blog:

Risk, Fear and Faith

Becoming a Faith Giant