Do you try to keep it in your comfort zone, or do you dare to take a leap of faith beyond? Do you trust that God would catch you if you took that leap? In this excerpt from Joanna Weaver’s latest book, Embracing Trust, she shares about trusting God, the one who can do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think.

On a recent episode of Your Hope-Filled Perspective podcast, Joanna and I invited you into a conversation about what it means to trust in the Lord with all your heart, relinquish control and put your hope if a forever faithful God [Listen here: How To Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart – Episode 209]. You won’t want to miss that conversation as it leads to the beautiful secret of unshakeable faith.

Be sure to read to the end for a book giveaway!

(If there are affiliate links in this post, meaning, if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission (at no extra cost to you)).

Taking a Leap of Faith
By Joanna Weaver

Remember being little and learning to swim?

My dad would stand in the water several feet from the edge of the pool with outstretched arms. “Come on, honey! Jump!” he’d say. “I’ll catch you.”

But I’d just stand there shaking my head, teeth chattering and knees knocking together as my polka-dot swimsuit dripped puddles on the concrete ledge.

Jump? I’d think. Is he crazy? Wasn’t it enough that I’d let him take me into the water up to my armpits? If I jumped my head might go under water, and if that happened, a little girl could drown. The fact that he kept spitting water out of his mouth like a whale and grinning like a maniac did nothing to inspire confidence.

But finally, with a few more assurances and promises of ice cream, I took the leap. Arms flung out wide, I launched myself from the safety of concrete into the liquid unknown. It was all or nothing now—everything committed, no turning back.

It felt like eternity, but it was only a moment before I found myself safe in Daddy’s arms. Oh, there was water in my eyes, and I was spitting like a whale. My head felt suspiciously wet, as though I’d gone under. But all my hesitation was swallowed up by one glorious realization: That was fun! Really fun!

Why in the world had I held back? My father had caught me just as he’d promised.
“Do it again, Daddy!” I shouted. “Let’s do it again.”

Our Trustworthy Father

I wonder how many adventures we miss simply because we don’t trust God. How much joy and wonder we forfeit because we don’t believe that He can “do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20 NKJV).

With evidence of God’s power all around us—from the complexity of the universe down to the intricate nature of the human cell—you’d think we’d spend most of our time bragging about God like the kid down the block. “You think your dad is great? Well, you ought to see mine! He can do absolutely anything!”

Instead, I’ve spent a lot of my life playing it safe, venturing only as far as what seemed plausible in my own strength. Only believing for things within reach. Trusting God as long as I could see Him, feel Him, and understand Him, but not daring to leap beyond my comfort zone because at some level I wasn’t sure He would catch me. Plus, I was afraid I would do it wrong.

I think somewhere along the way to adulthood, most of us have lost our childlike innocence and faith. Perhaps something happened, and we deemed God unreliable. Perhaps people ridiculed our religious fervor, and we stopped bragging about our Father and His power to save. Or perhaps we never quite managed to relinquish control long enough to leap into His arms.

Whatever the cause, I think we’d all agree: we don’t believe God the way we should.

Oh, we may believe in God—in the sense of acknowledging His existence. But according to James 2:19, that isn’t enough. For “even the demons believe—and shudder” (ESV).

As Christians, we’ve believed on Jesus and trusted Him for our salvation. But if that’s the sum total of our belief, we may miss the “joy and peace in believing” (Romans 15:13 NKJV) that the Bible promises.

We need to determine what we believe about God so that our minds line up with Scripture—something we’ll discuss later in this chapter. But we don’t have to understand in-depth theology to prove our faith. For it isn’t right thinking that gets us gold stars in heaven—as Abraham found out way back in Genesis.

“Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” This statement appears first in Genesis 15:6, but the same thought is repeated three times in the New Testament—Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; and James 2:23—as if to emphasize its importance.

Abraham believed God—that’s what counted most in God’s book. And if we want to please the Lord, we need to do the same.

In the first half of this book, I focused on the importance of letting go in surrender. But now, my friend, it’s time to learn how to hold on in faith. Believing God with all that we are—heart, mind, and soul. Fully trusting He’s everything He says He is and that He will do everything He’s promised in His Word.

Excerpt from “Embracing Trust: The Art of Letting Go and Holding On to a Forever Faithful God” by Joanna Weaver; (© 2022), used with permission from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. (http://www.bakerpublishinggroup.com)

 

 

About Joanna Weaver

Joanna Weaver is the author of Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, which has sold over a million copies. Other books include Having a Mary Spirit, Lazarus Awakening, and a devotional, At the Feet of Jesus. Her books and companion DVD Bible studies have been used by hundreds of churches as well as home groups and individuals. Joanna loves being a pastor’s wife and mother of three. The Weavers reside in the beautiful “Big Sky” state of Montana.

Connect with Joanna: Website / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest

 

Book Giveaway

In conjunction with this post and the podcast interview, Joanna is giving away a free copy of her book, Embracing Trust.

Leave a comment below sharing with us one thing you learned about taking a leap of faith as you trust God and you will be entered into the contest for your chance to win a copy of her book.

You could also share this blog post on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter then comment here to tell us where you shared it and you’ll also be entered into the drawing.

The winner will be selected at random and announced next Monday, April 24, 2023. Continental United States only.