Take steps of faith
The first time I heard a baby’s infectious giggle over the simple game of peek-a-boo, I was so intrigued. The idea that covering my face, then suddenly uncovering it, was enough to make a baby crack up laughing, fascinated me. Why did they like this sweet and silly game so much?
Turns out I’m not the only one who wanted to know. In fact, psychologists have done studies on this very thing. One intriguing theory about the power of peek-a-boo comes from a Swiss developmental psychologist named Jean Piaget.
He explains that babies spend the first two years of their life gaining an understanding of a principle called Object Permanence, which is the understanding that objects continue to exist, even when they can’t be seen, heard, touched, or sensed.
So peek-a-boo isn’t just a fun-filled, giggle-inducing game. It actually teaches babies that things are there when you can’t see them. What a great foundational principle of faith, right? Just because we can’t see it, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening or doesn’t exist.
This makes me think about the story of the ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19. These men’s lives had been upended by this horrible disease. The most severe kind of leprosy, which is caused by bacteria, attacks both the nerves and the skin, causing the sufferer to lose feeling in their body and limbs. It starts out with a white or pink patch of skin that spreads. Tumors grow. Fingers and toes get absorbed into the body. Sometimes they fall off. The bacteria can destroy the eyes, causing blindness. Dirty sores and ulcers develop, creating a terrible stench.
These ten lepers needed help!
When they saw Jesus, the Bible says they stood at a distance. They knew their place. According to Numbers 5:2, under the law, lepers had to be kept apart from other Jews in the camp. They were unclean. So to get Jesus’ attention, they raised their voices and cried out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us."
That word Master they used is the Greek word epistatis. That word acknowledges someone as the master-in-charge, fully authorized to act, or someone that is the head or the owner of all things. They knew of Jesus’ authority and power, and what He was able to do.
“Because you have acknowledged and placed faith in God’s power and authority, He is going to move in your circumstances like never before. Get ready for a shift! ”
When they cried out to Him for mercy, Jesus didn’t respond by telling them, You’re healed! No, He simply said, “Go, show yourselves to the priest.”
Why would Jesus tell them that? The Bible does not record any apparent change in their situation immediately. They still had leprosy. What were they going to be showing the priest exactly? Leviticus 13 and 14 spells out the process of verifying that someone with leprosy had been cleansed. Part of it was to go and show himself or herself to the priest. So then, what Jesus commanded was in keeping with the law.
However, the problem we encounter in our human understanding is not in what Jesus told them to do, but rather, when He told them to do it.
I’ll briefly explain.
Jesus commanded them to get confirmation of something that had not happened yet. That seems a little like putting the cart before the horse, doesn’t it. The process was inverted. But that’s what faith looks like. You take tangible steps based on an intangible guarantee. You act like it’s already done, even before you can verify it with your five senses.
Jesus was commanding the ten lepers to trust Him. They had to take steps of faith. They were required to move forward with no evidence. They had to know in their hearts that what they believed for and desired from the Lord would manifest, even though they didn’t see it.
Remarkably, in verse 14, the Bible says, “As they went, they were cleansed.”
Friend, some things will only transpire in your life as you go. As you take steps of faith, breakthrough will manifest. Action is required.
Even though you don’t know what God is doing, move forward in faith anyway. You’ve got to do what the ten lepers did and keep on walking. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Don’t give up. Don’t stop believing God to work it out. If you keep on walking, you will see His favor. You will witness His miracle-working power. You will see your situation change.
Do what you can do and watch God do what you can’t do.
Right now, God is challenging you. He’s proving your faith, meaning, God is putting you in a position where the genuineness of your faith can only be proven by how you respond to these circumstances. I often say you must trust God when you can’t trace Him. Take Him at His word when life doesn’t make sense. Keep expecting Him to fulfill His promises when you have no indication in the natural that He will. Things will shift for you.
I get that it can be hard to hang on to faith. When you’re in a negative situation and nothing seems to be working out for you, you start wrestling in your emotions. You get low. You feel discouraged. Satan starts telling you, believing God makes no sense. What’s the use?
But you have to rebuke the devil and refuse to give up on your faith. Although nothing has visibly changed and there is no evidence of breakthrough anywhere in sight, walk on by faith anyway. Continue to confess His promises anyway. Move forward in expectation anyway. You will see Him do the miraculous. You will witness God do the impossible for you. I’m a living witness. The key to unlocking this door to breakthrough is your faith.
To remind you of this truth, I’m stirring a portion of Mark 5:34 right into your cup of inspiration. These are the words Jesus said to the woman with the issue of blood who pressed her way to Him believing for her healing. Jesus told her, “Your faith has made you whole.”
As you drink down the contents of your cup, know that God is declaring unto you also that your faith has made you whole.
Though the pressures of life may feel crushing, apply some prayer pressure. Push back with your faith. Know that your confidence in God makes all the difference. Whatever you do, don’t give up. Don’t stop believing. Don’t stop expecting. Keep taking steps of faith. They will lead you to your breakthrough.
Now let’s pray.
God, I don’t see anything happening. There is nothing changing in my circumstances. But I believe in Your power to transform things in a moment. Instead of worrying and giving into fear, I stand firmly in faith that You will show up and show out in my situation. I declare that it is already worked out. As I take steps of faith, I praise You that my breakthrough will be clearly evident. Thank You in advance for my turnaround. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
If you need prayer, don't hesitate to request it. I would be honored to stand in faith with You. I know that prayer works. CLICK HERE to learn how to submit your prayer request.
