One Step at a Time
You are in a group that is hiking through the woods on a footpath and you come upon a not so safe looking bridge that spans a small creek, one not deep or dangerous, but too wide to simply step over. The bridge is very narrow and suspended by rope, some of which are rotted. It looks rickety and you are leery to cross it, but the only way across to the other side is this bridge.
The people in your group look at one another, trying to decide who will go first. After losing at rock-paper-scissors you are the “lucky” one to cross first. So, after taking a deep breath and mumbling a prayer under your breath, with sweaty palms and an elevated heart rate, you begin to walk across, one slow careful step at a time, and to your surprise, despite all the creaks and eerie noises it makes with each step, the ropes support your weight, and you make it safely to the other side. Once safely across you chuckle and say quietly, “Never a doubt!”
It is the same with God. He only builds a bridge of faith directly under your feet. He never builds the bridge a few steps in front of you, for then it would not be faith. The Bible tells us that our trust in God is by faith. In Hebrews 11:1 we read this, “Now faith is the confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
Elsewhere in the Bible, in 2 Corinthians 5:7, we see the same thing, “for we live by faith, not by sight.” The NASB version of the Bible uses walk instead of live. It is trusting that God will guide you on your journey, even if you are not sure where the journey will lead you. It is trusting God is in control and He has a plan, even if you don’t understand that plan.
After feeding the 5,000 (Matthew 14:13-21), Jesus decided to get away to pray. During the night his disciples are crossing the lake in a boat when they get caught in a storm. So, Jesus heads out across the lake to teach them a valuable “faith” lesson. When they see Him on the water, it scared the bejabbers out of them. He tells them not to be afraid. After hearing Jesus’ words, Peter boldly says that he will come to Jesus out on the water. Jesus does not give Peter advice, or even praise his courage. Instead, he simply invites Peter to “Come.”
What Jesus invited Peter to do long ago, He invites you and me to today … simply to “Come,” even it is on a rickety bridge or maybe scarier yet, to step out of the boat and onto the water. It is important to note that when Peter took his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink. You can read this entire encounter in Matthew 14:22-36.
So, today, whatever lies ahead, just press on in faith, trusting that God is building you a bridge, one step at a time. And as I so often do, let’s turn to the Psalms for assuring words. Psalm 84:12 tells us, “LORD Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.”
Faith really is one step at a time.
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