On The Edge

There is a scene in the movie, "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" which has been burned into my memory.

Indy is in pursuit of the Holy Grail, the cup from which Jesus allegedly drank during The Last Supper. However, in order to get to the chamber deep within the mountain where it is hidden, the hero must traverse a wide canyon that has no bridge or natural crossing point. There are no trees or timbers to utilize and the enemy is hot on his heels, putting him in grave danger. Indiana has to make a choice: move forward and meet a certain death, or stay put and meet a certain death.

He chooses to step forward into the abyss. When he does, a natural bridge forms under his feet from out of nowhere. He safely crosses the canyon and reaches the chamber to rescue the chalice from the villains.

I want to talk about standing on the edge today. I, personally, am in one of those Indiana Jones situations! Ever been there? I know many of you are, too. You know if you go back to what you came from you'll definitely be destroyed. There is nothing for you back there but certain death and the enemy in hot pursuit of the life, hopes, and dreams the Lord has in store for you.

But, you've come up on an impassable obstacle! What are you going to do? What can you do? The word of God asks us, "What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see." (Heb. 11:1 NLT)

Do you see the parallel? Indy was facing an awful fate either way-or so it seemed. But something in him told him, "Go forward." There was no logical reason for him to go forward, falling helplessly into that bottomless crevasse! He had no evidence telling him that he would be okay, other than a knowing. He'd encountered many traps in his travels and he knew the power of the supernatural realm. So, he moved because of his hope and faith that there would be a way made out of no way.

We, as believers, have to get there in our knowledge of the ways of God. We have to know the way that God operates, His methodology, the way He chooses to communicate and teach us individually. "But Jennifer, how can I know what God is doing?", you may ask. I'm going to be honest, there are lots of times when you just won't know what God is up to. He doesn't have to report to you, thanks to His sovereignty as King of Kings!

But, I know that the word says, "Surely, the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7 NIV) Here is my take on this-mind you, this is my take. I want to make that clear.

God wants you to have a clue, to make the best decisions for His Kingdom. Any King fit for rule will communicate with the rulers and advisers in his Kingdom. He will inform you of what he needs to see accomplished and when, and where, and how! Since Jesus Christ is the King of Kings (the Greek translation of that phrase literally means the King ruling over all other Kings) I would venture to say He is certainly going to operate as the ultimate King He is! Jesus wants you to know what is expected of you.

The way you learn HIS WAY is to get in the WORD! You absolutely MUST get into the word of God. Not a namby-pamby, little-dab'll-do-ya time in the word, but you must marinate in, meditate on and masticate (that means chew it up) the
Word! The reason this is so essential is that without knowing the Word of God we can never know the voice of God. If we cannot recognize the voice of God we are never going to have any direction or focus in our Kingdom purpose on this earth!

How do we come by faith? Faith comes by hearing and...yep, hearing comes by the Word of God! (Rom. 10:17 KJV) You, Beloved, must know the Word so that you can know the voice of God. You must hear the voice of God because God does not lie, deceive, trick or tease you. He has the road map for your life and destiny and you need the information He has, lest you find yourself standing on the edge of a great gulf with no way across! You can take the word of the Lord to the bank, folks! It is guaranteed to come to pass. You must be in a relationship with the Navigator of your destiny so that He can get you where you're supposed to end up!

You'll never arrive "THERE" without His information and direction. The word of the Lord for us is a lot like the new Garmin in my Dad's car-it will position you so you can safely arrive at your destination! HALLELUJAH!

Timing is essential. Direction is essential. But you also must believe what God tells you. Your faith in His best interests for you-the best interests of His Kingdom-should be all the assurance you need. Even in the most dire of circumstances we can know if we step forward according to His word, there will be a way through the circumstances. He will build the bridge for you, if only you will step out! Wow! I am so excited about this word today!

Beloved, don't stand on the edge any longer! The enemy is swiftly approaching! Some of you can feel his hot breath on your neck right now. You've been wondering where your "out" is. Move forward! Don't hesitate! If you know God, you know He will have prepared the way before you. It's there. Take the plunge! (Without the fear that you will fall to your death!) His grace is all you need, He is all you must have to get across.

Father, in the name of Jesus I pray for a new boldness to arise in my readers today. I pray that a courage and a passion will be birthed in them today unlike anything they have ever experienced before. I know many of them are facing major obstacles in their paths, but I also know that with You, Father, all things are possible! You are a sure-fire thing, Jesus! I have no doubt You are moving among them even now, challenging their fears and reservations, casting away their doubts and questions. Lord Jesus, we lay claim to the faith that is ours through our Father and ask You to move for us, in our behalf today. Become our bridge once again, Jesus. We love You, praise You and adore You! You are awesome! AMEN!

Move ahead, Beloved! There is a treasure awaiting you on the other side!

Jennifer Barnes
UPLIFT! Editor