Daily Devotional for August 24, 2019
Leap of Faith
Austin didn’t pay much attention to the animals as he followed his dad and little sister through the city zoo. All he could think about was how, in another week, they’d be moving to a different city.
“Are you enjoying the zoo today?” asked Dad.
Emma nodded eagerly, but Austin just shrugged. “We’ve been here so often, I know most of the information about the animals by heart.” He began reciting. “The hippo is responsible for more deaths in the wild than any other animal. The flamingos are pink because of the shrimp they eat.”
“I guess you won’t miss the zoo when we move,” said Dad.
“Not like I’ll miss my friends. I really don’t want to move,” Austin replied.
“I won’t miss the zoo as much as my friends either,” said Emma, “but I will miss the impalas. They’re so pretty.” She pointed to a field nearby where several deer-like creatures were grazing.
“The impalas?” Austin asked in surprise. “I think they’re the dumbest animals here. Do you know why they don’t need to have cages? Because they’re big chickens!”
“No, they’re not,” said Emma. “They’re a kind of antelope.”
“I meant that they’re scaredy-cats!” said Austin. “They’re great jumpers, but they won’t jump unless they can see where their feet will land. If there’s just a small hedge around them, they’ll never escape.”
“Really?” Emma asked. “If I were an impala, I’d jump.”
“I doubt it,” said Austin, “because if you were an impala, you’d be chicken too.”
“People can be like that sometimes,” said Dad. “Sometimes we’re afraid to try something new because we’re not sure what it will be like.”
Austin sighed. “You’re talking about me, aren’t you?”
“Well, I admit I’m a little nervous to be moving to a new place too,” Dad said. “But God knows what’s on the other side of the hedge, and we can trust Him to do what’s best for us. After all, Jesus was willing to leave His home in heaven and come to earth to save us.”
Austin sighed. “Okay, I’ll jump. I guess I can’t live inside a hedge forever.” He smiled at his sister. “Come on. Let’s go see the impalas. Maybe we can convince them to jump too!” Heather M. Tekavec
How about you?
Do you feel afraid when you’re facing something new? Big changes can be scary, but remember that Jesus will help you through them. Have faith in Him. He faced the scariest situation of all—dying on a cross for our sins—so you could have eternal life. You can trust Him to be with you and do what’s best. Take a leap of faith and leave the landing to Him.
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