I’m in upstate New York waiting to get a new transmission in our car. It has been an ordeal. I mentioned it some time back in my devotional, “Pirates.” You may have noticed a trend since that post. “Worried Cows,” “Living With Thorns, Parts 1,2, and 3” were as much as anything, the result of my own faith-struggles.
Some headway is finally being made on replacing the transmission, and I’m resting a little easier these days. This weekend, I watched several of the “Indiana Jones” movies with my daughter and her husband.
I don’t know if God has ever spoken to you through a movie, but I have heard Him on more than one occasion through Hollywood. When I taught “Church and Society” at Torch Trinity Graduate School, all of my students were required to present one “Hollywood Gospel” in the classroom. Some kind of gospel connection, human need, or reflection on the teachings of scripture was required in their presentations.
This past weekend, I saw an illustration of a great Bible truth in the Indiana Jones movie, “The Last Crusade.” Indiana Jones stands before a wide chasm that he needs to cross. It seems impossible. To get to the other side, Indiana must take what is described as a “leap of faith.” He closes his eyes and steps out into what seems certain to be empty air and a long fall to his death. Instead, his foot lands firmly on an invisible bridge, and Indiana crosses safely to the other side.
As I watched the scene, I thought about some of the leaps of faith, I’ve taken in my walk with Christ. By far, the greatest leap was following the Lord to Seoul, South Korea. We left our unsold home in the midst of the 2008 housing crisis. We left our children; our son John had just graduated from high school. We left my wife’s job, which was vital to our financial well-being. We left a lot of things and, literally moved to the other side of the world.
Looking back, it was scary. But we knew God was calling us to get out of our comfort zone and trust Him for what lay ahead. And what lay ahead was the best twelve years of our lives and ministry.
We met so many faithful followers of Jesus from so many places - the Philippines, Japan, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Vietnam, China, Russia . . .
We also met people from various Christian traditions - Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Four Square Pentecostal, Anglican, Greek Orthodox . . .
The best part was, we were all serving God together in our international, English speaking church. Our understanding of the wonderful diversity of God’s kingdom became, not only a theological truth, it became a life-giving, life-changing experience.
Some of you reading these words know what I’m talking about. You were a part of that unity in diversity we experienced. And, many of you, like Sherri and I, took a leap of faith that has changed your lives forever.
Stepping out in faith and following Christ as He leads us is not easy. Sometimes, like Indiana Jones, we close our eyes, stretch out a trembling foot, and expect to fall. But let me make a promise to you based on scripture and my personal experience with the promises of God’s Word: Good things are waiting for those who step out of their comfort zones to follow their Lord.
Is that where you are today: standing at the edge of a precipice and knowing God is calling you to take a leap of faith to get to the other side? If so, I want to encourage you to take the leap. When you do, you will discover something wonderful: God is there waiting not only to catch you but to fill your life with the joy found when we faithfully obey Him.
In Christ,
Dan
Literally the most significant time of our Christian lives to date! Praise God for SIBC 2010-2013!