A Greater Leap of Faith

Taking leaps of faith is second nature to me these days. There have been numerous leaps over the years. Some have been easier than others. Some have yielded greater fruit than others. All have taught me more about the faithfulness of God.

I recently wrote a blog about trusting God for a literary agent. I wish I could report to you good news on that front but I am still waiting. Waiting in faith mind you. I trust God I will be published on a broader scale based solely on the fact I believe that is God’s will for me.

I need to set the scene for the biggest leap of faith God has called me to so far. This past Friday I found a secluded room upstairs around the youth department and nestled in a chair to finish a book on the life of Hudson Taylor. Every page of Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret jolted me closer to God and closer to a greater leap of faith. In fact, I know this one single leap of faith will in turn lead to dozens if not hundreds of other leaps of faith in the future.

When I finished the book I wandered to another room where I sat down to pour my heart out to God. Let me record for you just a bit of what I wrote in my prayer journal that afternoon. “Lord, I want my life to count for something. I want my life to be about something greater than me. I want to honor you in my generation. Lord, thank you for the life of Hudson Taylor and speaking to me through him. The work you are calling me to do is ever expanding. I am willing to do whatever you want. I want to leave a legacy of faith. I have seen you do some great things but I ask you for an expanded platform from which I can testify of you and do your work. I fall at your feet and cry, ‘ Please use me to even greater degrees.’ I absolutely trust you no matter what you want I trust you. I sit before you to follow your lead. I will do what you lead me to do. If you reveal it and clearly confirm it I will follow you.”

Later I sat before the Lord and asked Him to speak to me. I believe He did. Here is part of what I sensed Him saying to me. “The trials of faith will not get smaller. I will enlarge your platform by giving you more to believe me for. Do not shrink back in unbelief nor try shrinking my vision.”

During that time several things were placed deep in my heart to believe God to do. I do not believe this is the time to reveal all of them but I can report one of them. To do so we have to go back to July of 2010. In July my sole attention stayed focused on preparing for the then upcoming Shake the City Revival. We had two missionaries from Honduras come to speak at our church one Sunday evening. Many from our church have gone to Honduras to minister to the Chorti Indians over the past several years. I have not personally gone, at least not yet.

During a conversation I had with the Collins, who serve as the missionaries, the following day revealed a need in passing. There is little medical help where they minister. They told me about a foundation that will donate one million dollars worth of medical equipment and supplies. The only catch is they will not buy land nor construct buildings with the foundation money. Here is where the Lord worked. They casually commented that a hospital could be built for $100,000. The Honduran people cannot and are not interested in trying to get this done. They went on talking but at that point I disengaged. I knew God moved in my heart. While still riding in the car headed to Lubbock and the Collins still talking in the backseat to Jase who drove, I asked the Lord if He wanted me to trust Him for the money for that hospital. I did not receive a clear direction and the rest of the trip went without incident.

Periodically I would think about that hospital and wonder if God called me to get involved. Most of the time I would forget about it and move on with life, family, and ministry. Not on that Friday afternoon I finished reading the Hudson Taylor book and the following week. I had made my pledge to God that I would do anything He led me to do and follow Him anywhere.

I cannot explain how it happened but yesterday I knew I had another leap to take. A greater leap than I can ever remember taking. God confirmed it through reading a devotional and from Jn 14:13-14. His call had been crystal clear. I had only once choice and that included taking the biggest leap of faith of my life. He has called me to believe Him to build a hospital in another country. Somehow in the midst of this impossible venture God has given me perfect peace. All I have to do is trust Him. It is God’s job to provide for what He wills to be done.

The devotion read yesterday challenged me to write what I sensed God calling me to do down on paper and then tell someone. I told Jase yesterday. Today, I went two steps further. I cast the vision to the NO Compromise Ministries board of directors through an email this morning and had Jase make contact with the Collins in Honduras. They were shocked but no more than me.

There is more to this leap. I will not ask anyone for money. I will take this need to God alone and trust Him for a miracle. God has called me to pray every dollar in. So I am asking you to pray with me. This is bigger than me but smaller than God. This is beyond my ability but well within God’s strengthened grip. Hudson Taylor once commented that, “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.”

So once I again I have leapt. I am on the edge of the unknown but in perfect peace that God who has led me will bring into reality that which is not reality. [Rom 4:17] I know other leaps will follow. Once this project is completed others will follow. I am sure of it. They may get bigger. All of this makes me come alive on the inside as I get to trust God for nothing short of a miracle. When it is done He will get all the glory. All of this to show the greatness of our God. I ask you to pray with me and believe with me. He might ask you take a leap as well.