Lately I am finding that I am living by faith. You know the days…
The ones where you are not quite sure where life is heading. Cannot see where it will even take you. Not liking where you find yourself. Unable to change a thing as He has not yet given directions.
The phrase, “leap of faith” keeps going through my head.
Leap, as defined by dictionary.com is “to spring through the air from one point or position to another”. The thing is when we add faith into that leap, we usually have no idea where we are springing or where we will land. Basically we are moving into the unknown. If we are honest, that can be frightening.
So let’s talk about leaping…..
My dad owned a Chevy Impala for years. On the hood, it had an emblem of the animal species that I always found to be fascinating. Since that time, I have discovered that the impala has the ability to jump over ten feet high. It also can leap over thirty feet (facts come from onekind.org). But here is the weirdest thing about them…..they can easily be contained in a zoo by a three foot wall. They have the ability to leap and jump over the enclosure but choose not to. They do not even attempt to escape. Want to know why?
The impala will only leap and jump when it can see where it will land.
Or to word it another way, while they have this amazing ability to leap and jump to unbelievable heights, they do not possess the ability to take a “leap of faith”.
And so they remain limited by what their eyes can and cannot see.
I have discovered I do not want to live like the impala. I want to live by faith. Taking leaps of faith.
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it give us assurance about things we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1 NLT)
Faith is taking God at His Word. Believing that if He said it, He will be faithful to do it. In that same chapter of Hebrews, the writer put it this way regarding Sarah, “She believed that God would keep His promise” (verse 11b). In writing about Moses, he says, “He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible (verse 27). They each had to believe that God would be true to His Word. Every one mentioned in the faith chapter of Hebrews 11 was required to take the leap.
The leap of faith.
Much like the impala, God has placed in us the wonderful ability to leap. May we take the leap even if we cannot see where we will land for we will always land exactly where He intended.
Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. (Corrie ten Boom)
Today I am linked with… Hear It, Use It and Inspire Me Mondays and Making Your Home Sing and Mommy Monday Blog Hop and The Modest Mom and Motivation Monday and Sharing His Beauty and Proverbs 31 Living and Playdates With God and Monday Musings .
I really loved this post…and the picture of the impala! I’m always amazed at how much God’s creation –the natural world around me–inspires my writing. I love how this amazing creature illustrates this great truth. Thank you for inspiring me today!
Creation can teach us much about its Creator 🙂 Thanks for sharing with me today as well!
This is awesome! Thank you!
Thank you for your encouragement so often! It does not go unnoticed!
You are welcome. Thank you for submitting your time and heart to God to encourage us.
Visiting from Monday’s Musings,
I love this – “for we will always land exactly where He intended.” It’s something I have to keep in mind as I wait to see what God has planned for me and my family in terms of my employment. Faith is not always an easy wait… Thank you for reminding me that it’s always worth it.
Janet
You will land well 🙂 Thank you for stopping here today.
Blessings,
Joanne
Those leaps of faith can seem like we’re trying to jump across the Grand Canyon sometimes. But that’s what faith is, right? Trusting God to do what we know we can’t. It’s not easy for me. One of my favorite books is along the same lines, called, “The Faith of Leap.”
Thank you for the book recommendation. I am going to check it out!
Thanks for the inspiring post! Found you over at Karren’s We Start Monday’s Together Blog Hop
That’s the wonder of the blog hops. We never know who we will get to meet. So glad you stopping here today!
So interesting! I’ve never heard this before (about Impala’s) and it really does illustrate that fear or inability to take a leap of faith. I’m sensing that God is asking me to take some big faith leaps lately. Not that He doesn’t do that every day, but there’s something big brewing and I would love to see if there’s a place to land on the other side before I leap! But He’s not going to keep me in my comfort zone or make everything evident or easy while I leap! So I’m taking this message to heart, my friend. It’s something I really needed to hear!
I am humbled to think that this was a message you needed to hear. Praying that God will enable you not only to leap but that His favor would be upon this big step in your life.
Blessings,
Joanne
Great post! I love the analogy of the Impala. All the skill and gifts in the world mean nothing without faith in the One who made all of it and us. May we leap in faith as His spirit leads us.
I was hoping to see a picture of that old car!
Loved what you shared here. Thank you for stopping by. I will ask my dad if he has a picture of the car & if he does, will post it 🙂
This is beautiful and so was your comment on my blog! Thank you for sharing your beautiful heart!
Trusting God with my unknown future is the only way to go! I know that He will lead me right where He wants me to be and will help me up if I stumble along the way! Thanks for the interesting scoop on Impalas…I don’t want to leap only when I can see the landing point. I want to leap, knowing that my loving Father will catch me!
Blessings, Joan
He surely will! Thank you for stopping here & sharing today. It is always appreciated!
I think of faith as something hoped for but not seen. Everyday we take leaps of faith. We take a leap of faith when we go to bed – hoping that we will get up the next day – don’t we? Interesting about the Impala, isn’t it? It doesn’t have any faith. It won’t take that leap if it doesn’t know what’s ahead of it. Guess that comes with living with lions. A wrong turn could be death.
I think humans are like impalas to some degree – and of course, it depends upon the person. A great many people will not take the leap for fear of the lions bite. I do not fear the unknown. I do not fear failure. I do, however, fear the possibility of not trying. No one knows what’s ahead of us. Are you going to be limit our possibilities like that Impala, or you going to take the risk – and soar the highest heights? I think I will take the latter.
Thanks for the post! Also, thanks so much for linking up with us at the Mommy Monday Blog hop! I Hope you come back again this week.
By the way, that’s a gorgeous animal!
Lisa – May we dig deep & take the leap. Thank you for stopping here today & for hosting the blog hop.
Have a blessed Sunday,
Joanne