“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

Every year in our town was the “Doggie Dash ‘N Splash Fest”. There were dogs of all shapes, sizes, and appearances there to enjoy time with their owners and fellow canines as well as demonstrations by police dogs, Frisbee-catching dogs, and duck herding dogs.

The one section of the “Fest” that seemed to be the most fun was the “Canine Sprayground & Puppy Pool”. If you have ever been to a water park, this was a miniature version made especially for dogs. The pool was approximately 30’ x 30’ around and 18” deep. Owners excitedly threw tennis balls in the pool with several of the larger dogs chasing in after them.

One year, I stood watching many of the dogs have so much fun in the water. I saw a Pembroke Welsh Corgi on a platform that extends all the way around the edge of the pool. Corgi is the type of dog that you may have seen with Queen Elizabeth with short legs and a fox-looking head. He walked around and around the pool area several times obviously wanting to jump in but never did. I found myself thinking, “Jump in! You can do it! It will be so much fun!”

Is God asking you to “jump in the pool” in an area of your life and you are unwilling? Is it too scary because you have never done it or do not know how? Maybe God is bringing an area to your mind even now that he wants you to step out and trust him.

Here are three principles of faith to consider in your own life and situation:

First, Jesus Christ is the author of faith. “…fixing our eyes on Jesus, author and perfecter of faith.” (Hebrews 12:2a) Jesus “wrote the book” on faith. He took a lonely journey to the cross by faith in his heavenly Father. Being the author of faith also means that he is the One who provides faith for you and me. It comes from him.

Second, faith comes from hearing. Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” If we want to have true faith in Christ, we must get into a position to hear him. This means spending time reading the Bible with spiritual ears and asking God to open them so we may know his will for our lives. He usually will not shout the message he wants us to hear. His desire is that we seek him and reveal it to us as we submit in faith. As we hear and trust him, he gives us the faith we need.

Lastly, true faith has little to do with what we can see in front of us. The scripture says “for we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7) The result of faith always starts with what cannot be seen. This can be frightening, but when we know who the author of faith is and we hear him tell us to “jump”, we can rest assured we are in good hands.

Go ahead — jump in and enjoy the water!