JUMP
“…but the righteous shall live by his faith. —Habakkuk 2:4
He was standing on the slide and said, “Mr. White, catch me” and then the child jumped and I caught him. Children trust that you will do what is intended. He did not hesitate to jump because he truly believed that I would catch him and I did. That is faith!
Are you living by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ? Do you truly believe that “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms…? (Deuteronomy 33:27). Is your life feeling like it is in “free fall?” Well, that might be the feeling, but the reality is that Jesus said, “…no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27). You are eternally safe in His hands even when you do not feel like it!
Trusting in the Lord God Almighty must be our first priority— not trusting in ourselves, nor trusting in other people and not trusting in our circumstances. To trust God is pleasing to Him “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6) and “faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).
The above verse tells us that “the righteous shall live by faith.” This encouragement to live by faith is repeated in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38. We do not seek a righteousness that comes from the law or from our own work, but the righteousness that comes through the gospel and we are to persevere in that “good news.”
So, are you living by faith in the finished work of Jesus at the cross where He proved Himself to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead? Are you going through difficult circumstances? Trust Him; you are eternally safe in Him (Hebrews 13:5). Have you sinned and blown it? Confess your sin and seek to forsake your sin (I John 1:9; 2:1-2). You are eternally safe in Him.
“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:32-39).
Will you jump into His awaiting arms, trusting that He will catch you? Or, will you see to grind out things in your own strength, in the strength of others or just hope the circumstances pass quickly? Oh, that we would live by faith! Jump!
Dear Father, I trust that You are always there to catch me and that I am eternally safe in the finished work of Jesus at the cross. Oh, that I would live a life of faith that is pleasing to You. May it be so!