One of my favorite scenes in all of the cinema I’ve seen in my life is in 1989’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. In it, Indy, played by Harrison Ford, is on the quest for the Holy Grail. In order to get to the room that houses the grail, Indy has to pass three separate tests. The first two he passes just fine, but on the third, he pauses. The third test is called “The Leap of Faith” where he has to cross a chasm that has no apparent bridge. So, he pauses and pulls out a book of his research on the holy grail. In it there is a drawing of a man walking on thin air across the chasm while others fall off.
He puts away the book and looks across the chasm and sees the room that he wants to get to, but then looks down and there’s a gigantic bottomless pit. There’s urgency here. His father is a ways back dying from a gunshot wound and the only hope is the holy grail that’s on the other side of this seemingly impassible chasm that will restore his health.
So, he pauses. Turning back is not an option, so he takes a deep breath, closes his eyes and steps forward. His foot lurches forward into the empty chasm and then suddenly stops on solid ground. He opens his eyes in surprise and find himself very much standing on what seems to be thin air! The path beneath him is very real and has been painted in a perfect forced perspective that matches the rocks below in a way that hides it in plain sight. Realizing the optical illusion, he bolts across the path with ease.
I know I’ve felt like Indy a lot in life, especially recently with purchasing a new house. God asks us to trust Him numerous times in the Bible and proven Himself numerous times over and over (Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Psalms, Isaiah and on and on). Sometimes in life, we will come across a huge chasm that has no apparent way across. So, we pause, understandably nervous. But then God says, “Trust me. I’ll help you get across safely. Look what I’ve done in the past.” Yet, we still wait, dawdle and hem and haw. Some turn back, skeptical there is even a way across, doubting the One who made the universe and controls everything in it. (See the contradiction there?)
Like Indiana Jones, we have our own Book that we can use to help us navigate across what seems to be impossible. And like Indy, we’ll find out that what seemed to be non-existent is very much solid ground. It’s time more of us started trusting God and start taking that single step forward. There IS solid footing underneath. God promises.
“Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD,
the LORD, is the Rock eternal.” –Isaiah 26:4
– Matt
BiblefaithGodIndiana Jonestrust
A Leap of Faith
April 16, 2009
Calvary
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Matt
One of my favorite scenes in all of the cinema I’ve seen in my life is in 1989’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. In it, Indy, played by Harrison Ford, is on the quest for the Holy Grail. In order to get to the room that houses the grail, Indy has to pass three separate tests. The first two he passes just fine, but on the third, he pauses. The third test is called “The Leap of Faith” where he has to cross a chasm that has no apparent bridge. So, he pauses and pulls out a book of his research on the holy grail. In it there is a drawing of a man walking on thin air across the chasm while others fall off.
He puts away the book and looks across the chasm and sees the room that he wants to get to, but then looks down and there’s a gigantic bottomless pit. There’s urgency here. His father is a ways back dying from a gunshot wound and the only hope is the holy grail that’s on the other side of this seemingly impassible chasm that will restore his health.
So, he pauses. Turning back is not an option, so he takes a deep breath, closes his eyes and steps forward. His foot lurches forward into the empty chasm and then suddenly stops on solid ground. He opens his eyes in surprise and find himself very much standing on what seems to be thin air! The path beneath him is very real and has been painted in a perfect forced perspective that matches the rocks below in a way that hides it in plain sight. Realizing the optical illusion, he bolts across the path with ease.
I know I’ve felt like Indy a lot in life, especially recently with purchasing a new house. God asks us to trust Him numerous times in the Bible and proven Himself numerous times over and over (Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Psalms, Isaiah and on and on). Sometimes in life, we will come across a huge chasm that has no apparent way across. So, we pause, understandably nervous. But then God says, “Trust me. I’ll help you get across safely. Look what I’ve done in the past.” Yet, we still wait, dawdle and hem and haw. Some turn back, skeptical there is even a way across, doubting the One who made the universe and controls everything in it. (See the contradiction there?)
Like Indiana Jones, we have our own Book that we can use to help us navigate across what seems to be impossible. And like Indy, we’ll find out that what seemed to be non-existent is very much solid ground. It’s time more of us started trusting God and start taking that single step forward. There IS solid footing underneath. God promises.
“Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD,
the LORD, is the Rock eternal.” –Isaiah 26:4
– Matt
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