Wheelbarrow Faith

 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

There is an old story, perhaps apocryphal, about a stunt man named The Great Blondin. As the tale goes, he gathered a crowd at one side of the Niagara Falls. He had stretched a cable across the mouth of the Falls. Ever the promoter, he asked the crowd if they thought he could walk across the falls on that cable. "Yes, yes, they replied". OK, how about if I do it blindfolded? "Go for it, Blondin". Well, how about if I am blindfolded, and pushing a wheelbarrow? By now the crowd was in a frenzy, "Yes, yes, we believe!". You do? Well, who is going to get in? Silence. No one believed enough to trust him with their life. 

So it is with our life in Christ, saints. We say we believe in His providence. We tell Him that we trust Him with our very lives. But do we, really? When push comes to shove, do we complain while we fall down, or do we praise Him while standing up in faith? Got to love old St. Peter. The winds and waves are buttressing his little boat. Christ, apparently, is elsewhere. But then he looks out onto the waters, and sees Him walking towards him on the sea. Peter can't believe his eyes. "Master, if this is really you, bid me come to you walking on the waters". "Come, Peter". And he does! As long as Peter is looking at our Lord, he also is walking on the water. Of course, the storm is still raging, and before long, he casts his eyes on the turbulence. And he begins to sink. He again calls on Jesus, and is immediately saved. 

What can we learn from this pericope? Surrounded by hostile armies, with no hope whatsoever of being saved, Hezekiah prayed, "we don't know what to do, so we are casting our eyes upon you". And indeed the LORD responded, "This is not your fight". He puts out the praise team in front of the army, and the LORD casts the enemy into confusion. 

We all face trials in our walk with the LORD. I recall a time in my life that it all seemed to be crashing down around me, with no hope of a reprieve. The enemy had cast us into the deep abyss and we were struggling to even live another day. But by God's grace, I was able to remember Jeremiah's testimony in Lamentations 3:21-23. His mercies are new every morning. Like Hezekiah, I called forth the praise team. Out on a walk by the Spokane River, we looked up, and there was a huge cross in the sky! The LORD was telling us, "I've got this one. It's not your fight, but mine". Indeed, He stretched out His hand, and lifted us out of the mire. The victory was assured once we got in the wheelbarrow. 

Our trials are NOT pleasant, saints. In no way did the pain of our trial ease when we cast ourselves on Him. The waters were still roiled. The waves were still crashing down. But we had placed our trust in Him, looking not to our adversity, but to our Deliverer. This is the power that breaks down strongholds of unbelief: Praising the LORD in the midst of the storm. Amen.