A Leap of Faith

God made children the measure of faith.   He said to come unto him like these, yet we often question how much they can understand.  We often separate ourselves from the little ones when we want a serious discussion with another Christian.  We send them to “children’s church” while the preacher gives the sermon, certain he is going to be speaking way over their heads.  We question their understanding when they tell us they’ve accepted Jesus as Savior if we think they are too young.  I wonder, are we missing the mark?

 Recently in a church service that includes a “children’s object lesson” I was delighted with the way the leader developed the idea of faith, a word we use a lot in the Christian community.  This demonstration was the best I’ve ever seen.  He asked a boy, about ten years old and about sixty-five pounds to step up on the stage.  Climbing the four steps he waited while the leader had Paul, a man probably in his late-thirties and about 180 pounds stand at the base of the steps.  He asked the boy to back up and then run into the waiting arms of Paul.  They each agreed this could be done since the boy completely trusted the waiting arms of his friend.  The mission was completed as expected, and faith was demonstrated.

 The leader then asked another man, Scotty, in his mid-forites and approximately 200 pounds to replace the boy on the stage, while leaving Paul, who easily caught the boy, at the base of the steps.  Scotty took his position at the back of the stage just as the boy had.  Looking at the man on the stage and then the children, the leader said, “This is going to be a real test of faith.  Watch while Paul catches Scotty!”

Needless to say, there was a good bit of giggling even from the children!  Neither of the grown men were willing to “test faith” this way.  Yet isn’t that exactly what we’re supposed to do when we ask Jesus into our hearts?  We are supposed to trust just as that little boy did and leap into the Father’s arms, even when our issues seem oversized. 

I wonder what keeps us from having childlike faith?  Do we get caught up in the logic our minds try to make of it?  We’ve been educated,  and as adults are supposed to make intelligent decisions based on facts we can prove as true, like we would a scientific experiment. Yet what concrete evidence can we provide those who doubt us? We have God’s word and the evidence within our lives.  I find particular satisfaction when Science proves the Bible right!  But of course there are those who are going to say, all that happens in our lives is pure happenstance, nothing supernatural and certainly nothing to do with God.  You can’t see Him, so how can He be real and do dynamic things in our lives?

 Another enemy of faith is satan, himself.  He and his demons are as real as the God we serve.  His sole purpose is to deceive and hinder our relationship with God.  He uses every opportunity we open to him, and sadly, he's good at it and it works.

 So I encourage you to take that leap of faith into the Father’s arms and then with wide-eyed, childlike curiosity, search the scriptures, find out everything you can about the Lord you now serve.  Get close to Him every single day; experience the joy that can only be obtained from knowing Him; and hold Him close. Then no matter what air you feel beneath your feet, you know God is going to catch you in his arms.

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