Hops, Skips and Jumps of Faith

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Sometimes God asks us to make hops of faith. Other times He asks us to skip. Sometimes, though, He asks us to make big, scary jumps. Each time, though, He promises to catch us and never let us fall completely, "Give your burdens to the LORD and He will take care of you. He will never let the righteous slip and fall" (Pslam 55:22) . Sometimes, we will step away from God and we'll stumble and our knees will get scraped or we may fall so bad that we need stitches. Each time He will heal us and make us even stronger. He will never ask us to do anything that He will not give us the strength to do.

As I was thinking about this, I realized God asks us to make our own hops, skips and jumps on a daily basis. When you use your credit or debit card to pay for groceries, do you absolutely know you will have the money when the bill is due? No, a lot can happen in a month. You kind of subconsciously trust that God will provide. I just had to make a big college payment. I use credit cards (that's a different story) and I trust that God will provide me with the money. I believe with all my heart that God wants me at John Brown University, and I have seen Him provide and awesome ways to keep me there.

That's the cool thing about being a Christian: we know that if we are following God's word and what He wants us to do, He will provide. Jesus specifically promised to take care of us:

 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:25-26

Throughout the Bible God provided for His people in amazing ways! When the Israelities were in the desert after being led out of Egypt, God caused water to come out of rocks and food to fall from the sky! Keep in mind that He provided this to them after they continued to sin against Him. After God continued to provide time and time again the Israelities continued to sin and even asked to go back to Egypt! Yet, God continued to provide because He knew what their ultimate purpose was: to preserve the Jews, His chosen and promised people, so that they would bare the Messiah. The Messiah that offers salvation to you and me! 

Likewise, if you are doing what God has called you to do, He will provide. Whether that be tithing, volunteering or selling everything that you have to be a missionary where He has called you, He will provide for all of your emotional and physical needs. Not always in the way that you had planned, but He will provide. Remember, God did not give the Israelites in the desert a grand feast, He gave them water and bread. Just because He will provide does not always mean that He will provide in the way that you expected or necessarily wanted. 

You may be thinking, "Wait, Krista. God doesn't provide like that anymore". Well, the God that you and I worship is unchanging, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). God is smart, and as times change He begins to provide in different ways. If you need food and are unable to buy it, perhaps God will have someone anonymously drop food off on your doorstep or have someone tell you about the local food bank  Does God still have the ability to make food fall out of the sky? Yes, He is still God. But do not think that this is the only way that He will do it. Do not put on blinders and not see how God is providing. 

Ask older or mature Christians in your church, or simply Christians that you know have been through a lot, about how God has provided for them. You may be amazed at what they have to say. 

Therefore, if God is asking you today to make a hop, skip or jump of faith, be confident. Whether He is asking you to give to a charity, to become a foster parent or maybe become a missionary over seas, trust that He will provide. He will give you the emotional strength to do whatever He is calling you to do and then will give you the physical supplies to complete that task. Remember, "Give your burdens to the LORD and He will take care of you. He will never let the righteous slip and fall" (Pslam 55:22).