This morning Pastor Sean was talking about the African impala and how
they can jump high and forward as an inborn survival mechanism. The
impala is known to jump about ten feet high. This high jump propels the
impala to land about thirty feet from the spot where it starts. With
this type of jumping, the impala survives in Africa.
However, a unique limitation to the impala is that he will only jump
when it can see where it will land. In an area like the zoo the African
impala can be confined by a three-foot high fence, it won’t jump
because it cannot see where he will land.
He then took a quote from John Emmons, which says:
Faith is the ability to trust what we cannot see, and with faith we are
freed from flimsy enclosures of life that only fear allows to entrap
us.
He went on to say that in faith we may/will have questions like Mary
most likely did when she was told she was to give birth to the Savior. She did not allow fear to entrap her but in courage stepped forth in faith. We, like she, must step out in Faith trusting God when He gives
tells us to do something for Him.
thedailylily.com 
Do you think that fear makes us believe we cannot hear or haven’t heard or we just forget quickly?
I think that trying to know or hear is harder than the stepping out, what do you think?
I think that fear DOES make us believe (sort of an oxymoron) that we cannot hear the voice of God because it says to us, “Is that really the voice of God? Is that voice just your own ideas?” Or, “Is that the voice of the enemy coming to you as an angel of light?” And so we hesitate. And we learned in our teachings on Sunday from Dr. Wilkinson that you cannot stand still. You either go back or you go forward. If we cannot, will not, are too fearful to step out in faith, then we step back in fear.
So, I think you sort of hit the nail on the head, so to speak ,when you say, the fear of hearing wrongly, stymies us. I suppose if we knew that it was truly “thus saith the Lord” then we would be able to take that step of faith. YET…we have a whole book, 66 chapters of “thus saith the Lord” and many of us still don’t step out in it. So, Sara, you have posed a theological enigma; a favorite thing of yours to do! So what’s the answer?
I think that when God wants you to move in what He wants you to do, He will tell you and confirm it through someone else. It seems to me in my experience that with the word from God comes, somehow Satan picks up that this believer is going to do something – so quick confuse the mind with questions that will halt the believer and get him/her back behind the fence like the African Impala who must see the land before they will jump. Unlike the Impala God ask us to walk out in faith. The questions will still come, but we must jump the fence and see the freedom that we have in Jesus.
I believe that if you grasp with all you have that God told you to do something then it is easier to step out. Knowing the God of universe is behind a task is awesome so step out into the adventurous life knowing God has a great adventure for you. Questions will come, but He has us by the hand so lead on God.
Rena, you spoke about grasping with all you have. Sara once told me (and I am explaining according to the way I understood it) that in order to obtain something that you believe God is wanting you to do that you must focus on it and then embrace it with all your being. For me that involves putting my thoughts, time and energy into the task until it is accomplished. The forward motion of that helps squeeze the fears out of my mindset. I was once taught in a drawing class that in order to hand draw a straight line one had to focus one’s eye on a destination point (and not on the hand drawing right underneath your nose) and the hand would follow and the line would be straight. I found when I looked at the line as I drew it that fear would set in, I would lose concentration and the line became crooked. It seems to be the same with spiritual principles.
Debi,
I read your comment and began to think about Peter. (Matt. 14:22-33) Peter was able to walk on that water, as long as he kept his focus on Jesus, but as soon as he took his eyes off of Him, he began to sink. Peter sank, because he was watching the wind and the waves; instead, of Jesus, and he lost his trust. We must keep our focus on the Lord.
As I read the different comments I began to think about Focus. In the Scriptures, as Needles pointed out concerning Peter on the water, there are several teaching examples of “focus”. The Wisemen presented an excellent example. They researched and studied; they were attentive to the signs for many years. And when “it came to pass that the STAR arose in the East”, they focused their attention on it diligently, and followed its every direction until they found the place where the BABY KING was awaiting them. That is dedication and focus.
But the best example of Focus is the one Jesus gave us. It said that HE had set HIS face like a flint….He was focused on Jerusalem, because that was where HIS FATHER has commissioned HIM to die for the sins of all mankind. Throughout all the OLD TESTAMENT, until Resurrection Sunday, Jesus, faithful Son of God, focused HIS mind and heart and Spirit on the CROSS; for all those millennia from the foundation of the world, CHRIST was slain for us. That was HIS eternal focus because that was FATHER GOD’S focus. It was solely for us, to set us free, and give us liberty. Jesus Christ perpetual focus, brought us the CROSS and salvation. What a colossal incentive for us now, to FOCUS on the Christ’s birth and the CROSS not only at CHRISTMASTIDE but for eternity. Christ’s eternal focus should become our perpetual focus.
Yes,Tammy you are right. I read that scripture you posted and thought also that focus seems easier when the ‘weather’ of life’s circumstances is calm. But when things get ‘boisterous’ (as my translation said, meaning: stormy or overwhelming turbulence or upheaval)keeping focus or faith becomes difficult. Yet it is during thiese times that our faith seems to get tested and refined.
Focus on Jesus, the healer, the deliverer, the miracle worker! Now, if that be our focus do you feel we need to be angry, or show our ( temper) authority when we can’t get things done our way? Or, do you think we need to stay focused on the Miracle Worker and believe, have faith, hope and charity that He will intervene on our behalf if we continue to do all the right things as we know them and stand and see and stand and watch the salvation of Our Lord at work?
Exodus 14:13
And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
2 Chronicles 20:17
Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.
I think there is a very fine line in this dialogue but also in Faith and Doubt.
I think we need to stay focused on Jesus and stand as you say above. Thanks for sound wisdom.
I read your blog and it caused me to think of Enoch…and also the blog that Wendy wrote”The Man who walked with God” see home page 3 at the bottom…He trused God , had a very close relationship with God and believed God…for everything…and so did Mary…there was that perfect Love which the Word says casts out all fear..it seems their fear of not pleasing God was more than the fear of…what they were about to face…they kept their eyes on the prize….not on the the landing place….dj
The more I think on this and read the comments, I am thinking it is unbelief that brings about let’s wait and see and check. We, at times are like Santa, making a list and checking it twice. Or, we operate according to NASA and a shuttle, ie, are all things in order, weather, shuttle, astronauts, and ground crew, etc. Whatever, all this is very good and has a place.
But, as I ponder and think on these things and compare Santa and Space shuttle to Faith and Unbelief, I think Fishes and Loaves. Faith Leap as Rena’s blog indicates is a steep learning curve to me.
When I read Matthew 14… end of a day and Jesus had been teaching all day to a crowd of five thousand both believers and seekers and the disciples which were among the believers wanted to send the crowd home as they were all tired and hungry including them. They found five loaves of bread and two fishes…Now, what would I have done? Easy enough, been like the African Impala…I can’t see feeding this crowd with this little amount, can’t see where I will land if if jump. I don’t want all these skeptics mixed in with my family. My table is too small, my home needs more cleaning, we need more food. So they can all go home and find food on their own. Hold on, says the Master, look up into the hills from which cometh your help, Our God is able to feed the thousands. Jesus did just that! He blessed the food and gave thanks and gave it back to the disciples to distribute. If that won’t build your faith, guess what, twelve baskets of leftovers remained. Better odds that the left overs at my Christmas dinner. And, a much better attitude. My Christmas may have more Santa and less of the Birthday Son! Santa works great for most of us because Faith leap’s need the Master and some like me may just not have room in my home for the birth of Faith. So I send faith to the barn and keep Santa in the home.
I am reminded in this story as well that Jesus did not send the seekers or unbelievers home but He feed them. This makes me think that for reasons just like this God gave the gift of hospitality for His body. With a gift of hospitality one may many times have to take a faith leap just like Jesus and open their homes and dining table with two fishes and five loaves of bread to feed the thousands. This brings to my mind the eye of an artist seeing a great big banqueting table with large groups of family and friends gathered around God’s table enjoying Him and His birth and one another.
Whatever spiritual gift God gave each of us if we would take a leap of Faith and use it we would see the MIRACULOUS! Christmas has a way, if we allow it, to awaken us to this GIFT.
What is faith? Is it faith to sit in a chair, or turn on the lights? Is it faith to walk where you haven’t walked before? Is it faith to look at the facts and make decisions and act on them? Is it faith for the disciples to give Jesus five loaves and two fishes? Did Jesus exercise faith when he told the disciples to feed the multitude the loaves and fish?
It might have been BIG faith for those disciples to give Jesus five loaves and two fishes while looking at thousands to be fed. I think I would have laughed and laughed thinking Jesus was speaking a joke. (I would have thought Wendy was around) So yes, big faith, for those men to obey Jesus and scurry up a little food for many.
Would we try it now? Let someone knock on our door about dinner time and see what happens.
questions..you know …Youre right I do believe it takes faith to come to someone with that little bit of food and hand it to them and then expect to feed all those people…Gary sure has me thinking and now Im really digging because you made me put myself in their shoes…Its good to have so many views it causes STUDY to take place…..dj
Questions….what is faith?..Hebrews 11;1 says its the substance of thngs hoped for, the evidence of things not seen….soooo..Is it faith to sit in a chair?..well yes..and to turn on the lights..yes…but these are hard to explain…because we are used to doing these things and sometimes don’t think of it, but just do it…if we really thought on these questions and each item mentioned the same conclusion that I got probably would be reached …that it is by faith that we sit in a chair…well now Im really thinking on this again….if we know the facts about the make up of the chair the molecules and such..we probably wouldnt sit in it without having faith…under a microscope if we looked at the whole wood glue and all..it wouldn’t look to stable to sit in….Well as you can see you really have me digging…so I guess I will dig some more before writing more….Oh…about the fish and loaves…I believe the dicisples realized they couldnt do anything yet (lack of faith)..so they gave it to Jesus..They had faith in His faith..(I think)….dj
Another comment I have heard from a teacher of the Word is that “Faith is calling those things which be not, as though they were; NOT calling those things which BE, as though they were NOT.” I guess that the first is FAITH, the latter is FALSE.
Talk about impalas leaping…what a leap The Daily Lily has taken in unwrapping its new beautiful and creative format. Thanks!