A wise man wrote, “A ship is safe in the harbor, but that’s not what a ship is built for.” Ships aren’t made to stay in the safe, shallow waters of the harbor; they’re made to sail the open sea. Faith involves risk. Faith is an action word. Faith is not just what we say or believe; faith is expressed in what we do—“Faith without works is useless” (Jam. 2:20). God honors and rewards bold, aggressive faith (Heb. 11:6).
Take a leap of faith! “Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible, and receives the impossible.”WhenGod called Abraham to leave his father, Terah’s, house and go to the Promised Land, He didn’t give him any details (Gen. 12:1). Abraham obediently “went out, not knowing where he was going” (Heb. 11:8). Talk about a huge leap of faith! It was risky to sever ties with his friends and family to venture out in a hostile world, but his faith and obedience paid off. Abraham was already an elderly man (75), so he was basically starting all over. He left his pagan family and homeland (Ur of the Chaldees) behind to follow the one, true, God—Jehovah. Abraham willingly traded the known for the unknown and became the “Father of the Faith,” a revered patriarch in three religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), the founder of two races (Arabs and Jews), and an ancestor of Christ. As Corrie Ten Boom said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”
Step out on a limb! One author wrote, “Don’t be afraid to step out on a limb—that’s where the fruit is!” Plus, if we step out in faith and obedience, God will hold the limb up.Zacchaeus is a literal, lasting reminder of what can happen when you’re willing to step out on a limb. He was a short, rich, corrupt tax collector. Unable to see Jesus over the crowd, he climbed a tree for a bird’s-eye view. As Jesus walked by, He stopped, looked up at Zacchaeus, and invited Himself to his house. While the crowd criticized Christ for having dinner with a sinner, conviction gripped the con man’s heart. Cured from his greed, he promised to repay all those he defrauded and donate half of his wealth to the poor. Jesus declared, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham” (Lk. 19:9). Zacchaeus’ life was totally revolutionized all because he dared to step out on a limb.
Go overboard! When Jesus walked on the stormy Sea of Galilee, His disciples first feared He was a ghost. After He reassured them, Peter wanted to walk on the water with Him. It’s easy to focus on how Peter sank when he took his eyes off the Master, but don’t miss the fact that he had the guts to try something no one else did. The other disciples opted for the security of the ship. It is easy to sit in our comfort zones and criticize those who attempt (and sometimes fail) to do great things for God. Doubters say it’s too risky to venture beyond the limits of tradition and the status quo. Conventional wisdom says, “Don’t go overboard.” Why Not? Peter had the greatest experience of his life when he dared to go overboard. Jesus enabled him to do something no other human being has ever done—walk on water. Remember, Jonah had the ride of his life when he went overboard too. Maybe we should go overboard more often.
Don’t play it so safe! WhenCaleb was eighty-five years old, you’d think he’d retire, settle down in a corner of Canaan, and tell war stories to his grandchildren. Why not leave the giants for younger men to handle? After all, it’s too risky to fight giants, especially at that age. But Caleb realized God wasn’t finished with him yet and boldly claimed, “Give me this mountain . . . It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said” (Josh. 14:12). A survey of seniors showed that if they could re-live their lives, most said they would take more risks and be less reserved. In baseball terms, you can’t steal second base with your foot on first. Kathryn Kuhlman, when asked about the key to her success in ministry, said, “Think big, talk big, and act big, because we have a great big God.”
Roll the dice! Haman’s hatred for Mordecai, a Jew, was so extreme that only the genocide of all Jews would satisfy his vendetta. When Haman bribed Ahasuerus, King of Persia, with 10,000 talents of silver to execute his evil plot, neither of them knew queen Esther herself was a Jew. Haman cast lots (like rolling dice) to determine which day the massacre would occur. The lots fell on the 12th month of Adar. Meanwhile, Mordecai warned Esther, his niece, not to presume that she was safe. Her life was also in jeopardy even though her race was a secret.Persian law forbade a queen to approach the king without being summoned. So, Esther asked her people to fast and pray with her for three days before she rolled her own proverbial dice. With total disregard for her crown and her own life (“If I perish, I perish!”—Est. 4:16), she appealed to the king on her people’s behalf. God gave her favor and exposed Haman’s heinous plan. Ironically, not only was Haman hung on the gallows he built for Mordecai, but the Jews held a two-day feast on the 14th and 15th day of Adar—the very time Haman planned to annihilate them. The Feast of Purim (meaning lots or dice) is still celebrated by the Jews annually to commemorate how God used Esther’s risky faith to save them. Maybe, it’s our time to roll the dice.
It’s your move! When we think we’re waiting on God, He’s often waiting on us. Have you ever played a board game and waited on your opponent to move only to find out it was your turn all along? God might be saying, “It’s your move!” God expects us to do the possible while we are waiting on Him to do the impossible.Noah didn’t wait for the rain to start before he built the ark. The Israelites didn’t wait until after the walls of Jericho fell to shout. The widow woman didn’t wait until her meal barrel and oil cruise were full to bake Elijah a cake. Notice when Jesus told the ten lepers to go show themselves to the priests, “as they went, they were cleansed” (Lk. 17:14).They acted in faith on His Word. When we move, God moves!
When Joshua commanded the sun to stand still, God responded to his bold faith and delayed the sunset so Israel could defeat the Amorites (Josh. 10:12-14). God rewards those who take that first, risky step of faith at His biding. If we wait for ideal conditions to do something great for God, we’ll never do much of anything. Solomon said, “He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap” (Ec. 11:4). We would all do well to heed Mary’s wise advice, “Whatever He says to you, do it” (Jn. 2:5). Do it in faith, even if it means taking a risk. Now, it’s your move!