Jump!

One night a house caught fire and a young boy was forced to flee to the roof. 
The father stood on the ground below with outstretched arms, calling to his son, “Jump! I’ll catch you.” He knew the boy had to jump to save his life. The boy could 
HEAR his fathers voice, but all he could SEE was flame, smoke, and blackness. 
As can be imagined, he was afraid to leave the roof. His father kept yelling: 
“Jump! I will catch you.”

But the boy protested, “Daddy, I can’t SEE you!”  
The father replied, “But I can see YOU son... and that’s all that matters!”

The boy jumped and was SAVED because he trusted his father.

God is looking for FAITH! The Scriptures teach us that, Without faith, it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God, because anyone who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who diligently SEEK Him" (Hebrews 11:6). Jesus asks the haunting question; "....when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8).  He is looking for the kind of faith that will trust and obey Him even when life is difficult.

“But I can’t see Him!” someone might object.  No, but He sees YOU… and that's all that matters!  He is not far from anyone of us! (Acts 17:24-27)  “The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men.  From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth” (Psalm 33:13-14). He sees YOU, and He cares!  He cared enough to provide a way of salvation from that “burning house”  (SIN).  His Son had to die so that YOU and I can be saved (Ephesians 1:7).  If we will trust Him – trust Him enough to “jump” – He will catch us and care for us eternally.

Donner Atwood has written: “The Christian faith enables us to face life or meet death, not because we can see, but with the certainty that we are SEEN; not that we know all the answers, but that we are KNOWN.”

Salvation requires FAITH on our part - faith that will: trust in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turn from SIN in repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9-10), confess Jesus (Romans 10:9-10), 
and be baptized (immersed) in the name of Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16).  Then if we continue to be faithful to Him, He will save us (1 John 1:7).

Jesus warned His disciples: “In the world you WILL have tribulation” (John 16:33).  He also told them to trust Him even when times were difficult: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me” (John 14:1).  Jesus never promised that life would be easy, but He did promise that following Him would be worth every difficulty, every sacrifice (Mark 12:28-30).

The house is burning (1 John 2:17) and will one day be burned up! (2 Peter 3:10).  The Father is waiting with outstretched arms calling for you to “jump” through your obedient faith.  Even though you can’t see HIM, He sees YOU!  You can trust your Heavenly Father! Take that “leap of faith,” today by trusting and obeying His will. 

God bless you!

David A. Sargent, Minister

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

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