Day Twenty-Five: Spiritual Connections

Leap of Faith

     My thirteen year old was explaining the art of asking a girl out to me. He said, "It's a leap of faith, mom. They might say, "yes," but there is a chance they will say, "no." But if you don't take that leap of faith you never know the answer." I feel your pain son. Being newly single in my forties was not comfortable. It's just not as simple as it was in my early twenties when most of the men in my peer group were single and still looking. Now the men are older, most are married, and few of those are even intersted in women their own age. I think the leap required is much wider than it used to be and a lot farther to fall.
     There is more evidence and historical records to back up the claims of the bible than there is to tell if someone is interested in you before you take the leap and ask them out. Though God always requires a leap of faith I don't beleive he wants us to jump without evidence. The evidence supports Christ claims of who he is but putting our faith in him requires a leap. You've probably heard the analogy of the wheel barrel across the grand canyon. It's one thing to believe the guy can push it across on the tight rope and another to jump in and ride in the wheel barrel while he does it. No matter how many times you've seen it done; jumping in takes a leap of faith.
     I hope you are following along in Beth Moore's study. This chapter is full of the evidences and a wonderful comparison of the old testament festivals to the life and sacrifice of Christ fulfilled in the new testament. We are are in the midst of God's sovereign will and timing no matter what we beleive.
    Before I was a beleiver, a co-worker was sharing his belief in Christ with me as I smiled and thought "Man, he is really convinced of this stuff." I so wanted a faith I could be sure of like his and for several more years kept searching. I always felt like I was almost there... each new discovery was almost the full truth.
     When I got saved, several years later, I realized what was missing in all my previous searching, "It was a leap of faith in God as my saviour." All I thought I needed was to know more facts and the truth of the world would soon become evident and I believed I could find it all if I kept searching. The day I realized I didn't need to and couldn't possibly know everything, I realized all  I did need was to be rescued from a fallen world. That was the day I found what I was looking for, "a faith with conviction",  like my co-worker I had found "the way, the truth, and the life."
STUDY GUIDE:

 Follow along in JOHN: 90 Days with the Beloved Disciple by Beth Moore pages 115-120
 Read Acts 1:12-14; 2:1-8
 Answer the questions in your study guide.
 Share a brief highlight or two from your thoughts and answers in a comment posted to the group. (Read guidelines and cautions posted August 1, 2010 before you post).
 Read the comments of others and share your thoughts and encouragement with them by replying to their comments. Identify which post you are responding to by addressing them and their subject or pasting a brief portion of their reply at the start of your post.

PRAY WITH ME:
Lord, Thank you for your saving grace. Thank you for seeking after our hearts and minds. Your evidences are amazing and your love for us unfailing. You desire all but force no one. Thank you for putting the truth into our hearts so that we can find our way back to  you. In Jesus Name, Amen.