FAITH,
ACTING IN

A BLIND girl, one day, was caught in a fire on the tenth floor of a building. She could make her way to a window, but she couldn’t see anything. She felt the heat and smelled the smoke of the fire. Then she heard a fireman yell, “Jump, jump!”

She said, “I’m scared to jump. I can’t see.”

The fireman said, “If you don’t jump, you’re going to die. Take the risk, and jump.”

It’s bad enough to jump from ten stories high, but to jump when you can’t see where you’re jumping—that’s terror. In the midst of the chaos and confusion, she heard another voice, “Darling, jump, I’ve got you.” She smiled and said, “Okay, Daddy, I’ll jump.”

Jesus Christ is inviting us to jump. He knows we’re nervous, but just jump. He knows you’re scared, but just jump. Remember, we’re talking about your Daddy. We’re talking about Somebody you know. You’ve seen what He can do.276

[Jesus, Relationship with; Risk]

Matt. 14:22–33

A MAN slid over the side of a cliff and was able to grab a branch at the last second. He hung dangling over the precipice, hundreds of feet from the ground below. He screamed out with a loud voice, “Help me! Somebody help me!”

A voice came out of the sky, “Do you believe that I can help you?”

The man responded, “Yes, I believe. Please help me!”

The voice came out of the sky again, “Do you believe that I have the power to help you?”

“Yes, I believe! I believe! Please help me!”

“Do you believe I love you enough to help you?”

“Yes, I know you love me. Please, oh please, HELP ME!”

“Because you believe, I will help you. Now let go.”

After a brief silence, the man said, “Is there anybody else up there?”277

[Double-mindedness; Risk]

Matt. 19:16–22; Luke 6:46; James 1:6