Opening Illustration
In 1859, Jean Francios Gravelet walked the quarter mile of tightrope across Niagra Falls pushing a wheelbarrow in front of him. When he reached the American side he asked the crowd, “Do you believe I can carry a person across in this wheelbarrow?” Of course, the crowd responded that they believed. However, when Blondin asked for a volunteer to ride in the wheelbarrow, no one raised their hand. No one believed that much.
Faith is belief backed up with action. A willingness to get into the wheelbarrow that God is pushing, even when it looks crazy or irresponsible to do so. To trust Him to transform us into the kind of people who can live fearlessly for His Kingdom here on earth.
Faith-Related Scriptures: Old Testament
Noah builds a giant boat in the middle of the desert
Abraham leaves the land of his fathers for a place that God will reveal to him later
Moses stands before Pharaoh, leads millions of people into the desert, crosses the Red Sea
Joshua attacks Jericho with an unconventional battle strategy
David fight Goliath with a slingshot
Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego enter the fiery furnace
Daniel prays through the lion’s den
Faith-Related Scriptures: New Testament
Roman centurion believes Jesus can heal his servant from a distance (Matthew 8:5-13)
Syrophoenecian woman trusts Jesus to heal her daughter (Mark 7:24-30)
Faith & The Gospel Message
Gethsemane as a “Wheelbarrow Moment”
Jesus trusts His Father’s plan & submits to it (Everything in Him must have been shouting ‘No’ and yet He responded ‘Yes’)
Jesus trusts that His Father will carry Him through the torture and death that lies ahead (As fully-human, Jesus had to have been scared)
Jesus trusts that His Father will raise Him back to life (He had no guarantee when He gives up His life)
Jesus entrusts His mission into the hands of his disciples (Just as God entrusted creation into human hands in the very beginning)
Response: Our “Wheelbarrow Moments”
Justification — Believing in Jesus as our savior
For His redeeming work on our behalf
Receive God’s grace as an unearned and undeserved—an extravagant gift of love and mercy
Sanctification — Allowing Jesus to fill us with His life
Fruits of the Spirit grow in us & flow out from us into the lives of others
Continually healed and transformed by God’s love, mercy, and grace
A Related Meditation:
In Our Greatest Gift, Henri Nouwen provides another wonderful illustration of faith. Over the years he became friends with the Flying Rodleighs, a troupe of trapeze artists from Germany. He relates a conversation that he had one day with Rodleigh, that brought him to a deeper understanding of his faith.
This meditation can be used by individuals or as a discussion-starter for small groups.
Faith-Related WillowingWell Devotionals
