Take the First Step

     As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"
     When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?"
     "Yes, Lord," they replied.
     Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you"; and their sight was restored.

--Matthew 8:27-30b.


Yesterday I caught myself remembering a scene that I happened upon a few years back. A friend and I had just finished jogging up a mile long, slow climb that we affectionately referred to "the hill". The only good thing about making my way to the end of the longest mile in the middle of a desert is that it was a place and time to catch my breath before I began the second half of the route.

On most days, my friend and I wouldn't see anyone else at the top of the hill and thus be unmemorable.  However, there was one day, that while we were catching our breath, two young ladies were also at the top astride their horses. The girls were trying to take their horses across a horse gate into the desert. The first girl led her ride to the break in the fence and the horse just stood there, refusing to cross. No matter how much coaxing the girl attempted, the horse wouldn't budge. After a few minutes time, the second girl took her animal over in hopes of encouraging the first. This strategy also didn't work.

My friend and I ended up leaving the scene before a resolution came to pass. We don't know if the horse ever crossed over the gate or not. I like to think that the animal eventually overcame it's hesitation, put faith in its rider and took the first step into new territory.

I've always wondered why that horse didn't simply trust its rider. Was it a new horse/rider relationship and necessary trust hadn't been established? Did something happen to spook it? Or was the animal just plain ol' stubborn with a mind of its own?

I just got done reading a Lysa TerKeurst devotional where she relates that the reason why we don't see more miracles is because we don't put ourselves in a position to receive them. So this got me thinking: why don't we? Is it that we're new to God and haven't established that trust yet? Is it because we've prayed for miracles in the past, but what we wanted didn't come to pass? Or is that we haven't yet fully surrended to the Almighty and are bound and determined to make it on our own, not needing the help of God?

The two blind men in the scripture above put themselves in position to receive a miracle. They chose to trust a man that they had only heard about, but never saw. They chose to get over failed attempts at healing. They chose to take a step beyond their comfort zone, beyond their sphere of control and reach out to the only One who had any kind of real control of their circumstances.

These verses in Matthew state plainly that if we believe that our Savior is able to do it, our request will be heard and acted upon. There is no reason to not trust his lead. There is no need to be gun shy of our Savior. There is no reason to limit our circumstances to what we have control over. This world will let you down, but our Savior never will.

Believe, my friend, and take the first step to a whole new experience that God has prepared in advance for you. (Ephesians 2:10)