The Leap of Faith

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Growing up, I was always afraid of heights. After much convincing, I would sometimes try different things like rollercoaster’s or climbing a tree but there was one thing I could never talk myself into doing… jumping off the highest diving board at our local water park. Several times I would climb the huge ladder all the way to the top and slowly make my way to the edge of the board but as soon as I looked down and saw how far away the water was, I would freeze. Every bone in my body would hold me back from jumping off. It was a fear of the unknown. It was something I had to do alone; no one could help me and I simply wasn’t brave enough to face that fear and take the leap of faith.

In the same way, as Christians, we often have a similar experience in our walk with Christ to the one of facing the high diving board. We have no problem “climbing the ladder” in our relationship with Christ – growing closer to Him and reaping His blessings.  But when the comfort of the handles on the ladder are gone and we get to the edge of the diving board and see what it is God is really asking of us, every bone in our body – our human nature - holds us back from jumping off. We have complete and utter fear of the unknown when we realize we really have no idea what will happen if we take the leap of faith to get to the place God wants us to be in our lives.

 Jumping off and taking the leap of faith seems impossible at first. We may think we are alone and can’t possibly be brave enough to do it. We remember how much more comfortable we were on the ground and may be tempted to turn back. But we can’t because we’ve already climbed the ladder - we’ve already grown closer to the Lord and received blessings from Him. We have to take the leap. Unlike a real diving board experience though, we will not be jumping off from the safety of the board alone. There is someone who will be jumping off with us and will also be there when we land in the water below… the Lord Himself. But how do we possibly take the leap of faith?

Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” To take the leap of faith, all we have to do is trust in the Lord with all our hearts. It sounds easy, but it really is one of the hardest tasks a Christian will ever have. To trust God with all our hearts means that we don’t have even one little doubt come into our minds about what He can do for us in an impossible situation. That is faith – to be sure of what you hope for and what you cannot see. Oswald Chambers once stated “Faith is unutterable trust in God, trust which never dreams that He will not stand by us.” We can’t doubt God’s power and plan if we want to truly trust Him.

This passage not only says to trust in the Lord with all your heart but it also says to lean not unto your own understanding. The word “trust” here is often used with the word “dwell” meaning safety and security. By trusting we learn to dwell in the Lord completely. Safety and security is not something we can get from our own strength. We have to let go of our desires to be in control and our want to understand everything that is happening to us and just focus on dwelling in the One who does. We may not understand why God is doing something, yet we cannot base a situation on what we think, we have to base it on what God thinks. Isaiah 55:8 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” Just because we can’t see what God is doing doesn’t mean that He doesn’t have a plan. A farmer sows and tends to his crop, then leaves the harvest to God. The farmer can’t bring sunshine and rain; only God can do that. In the same way, we have to leave the results of a situation to God’s control. We can sow the seeds and tend to the crop, but we have to leave the outcome up to the Lord. If we desire what He wills and wants for our lives and don’t look to our own way or plans, then we will learn to trust Him.

Verse 6 in Proverbs 3 goes on to say “In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy path.” The word “acknowledge” means to admit existence, to recognize, or to express thanks and gratitude. Whatever situation you are in or circumstance you're going through acknowledge Him. Recognize how He has used it to strengthen you and thank Him for it. Don’t just thank Him for letting you climb the ladder – for growing more in Him and all His blessings – but also thank Him for taking you to the edge of the diving board - for helping you to realize you cannot walk the Christian life alone. When you do all of this God will direct your path, He will help you as you take the leap of faith. He promises that He will. The verse says “He shall direct thy paths.”  1 Corinthians 16:10 says “He worketh.” It’s present tense – happening now. As soon as we trust Him, let Him control our lives, and fully acknowledge Him, He begins working.

Knowing that God will be there with us no matter what happens, guiding us and leading us to where He wants us to be, will give us the peace and comfort we need to let go of the things we hold onto in life for safety and to take the jump. When we let go of our “safety blankets”, it allows our hands to be free to completely hold onto God. If you are close enough to Him, He won’t let a second go by without your hand being empty. He is there to take it, hold onto it tightly, and never let it go as He leads you in the path for your life. That’s what this passage is talking about – God wants to direct our paths but we have to let Him. The word “direct” means to manage, move toward a goal, and to guide or instruct. That’s what we should strive for as Christians – for God to guide and instruct us as He moves us towards His goal and purpose for our lives.

We may still not know what the outcome will be when we take the leap of faith. But by trusting in God with all your heart, leaning not on your own understanding, and acknowledging Him in all your ways, it will help you to be prepared to go wherever He is taking you. It may not seem like the path of least resistance at the time. It may not be the easy or popular way to go. But when we do take the leap and see where God takes us – how He used our willing, faithful, trusting hearts - we will see that it was worth it to let go of our plans and dreams for His Will and desire for us as He leads us In the Light of His Glory. His way is always best. His plan and timing is forever perfect. All we have to do is take the leap of faith.