… do you trust me…?

                                        THEN JUMP!

If you, like me, are a fan of Disney, you will recognize this quote as a quote from one of my favorite scenes in Aladdin. It is the first of two times in the movie where Aladdin would pose this question: Do you trust me? 

The first time, Jasmine hesitantly takes his hand and they escape the palace guards. The second time he asks, on the balcony of the palace, is even more significant as it eludes to the first; Do you trust me? 

I absolutely love this part of the movie! Not only because of the epic song that follows but because of everything happening in the brevity of that scene. The thoughts going through Jasmine’s mind as she considers taking his hand. Aladdin’s hope and longing that she would just take his hand and trust him. He knows what’s on the other side. He knows what he can show her on a magic carpet ride….

BUT before all of that begins…. she must JUMP.

I feel like God often poses this question to us throughout our walk with Him. We’re facing a big decision, a move, a new job or project. Whatever it is, we’re sensing God leading us to start or join in on something new, something we feel completely ill equipped for, something we don’t totally understand, something where we don’t know what lies on the other side. Whatever the details of the situation, the question arises do you trust Me?  Do you [really] trust Me?

Let’s pause here to look at everything that lies behind this question. Behind Aladdin’s question was “A Whole New World.”

Of course, when he poses the question, Jasmine is completely unaware of everything that lies behind, of everything that awaits her on the other side trusting him, taking his hand, and jumping. Likewise, when God asks us, He’s not asking us to simply jump into an abyss. He gives us His hand, His promise that He will be with us always, wherever we go.

“…fear not, for I am with you;
    be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10) 

 “… I can open your eyes, take you wonder by wonder….” 

In taking His hand and taking the jump lies the opportunity to have our eyes opened. To see things in an entirely new light. To see life from an eternal perspective. To see beyond ourselves.

“having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18)

“… a dazzling place I never knew…“

Walking with God takes us to places we never could have imagined, both physically and even within ourselves. Our desires begin to change, our perspective changes, our decisions and our behaviors change. We find ourselves strong where we were once weak, joyful where we once felt sadness, at peace where we once felt worry and anxiety, free where we were once in bondage.

As lofty as this may sound, try to think about examples in your own life where you know this to be true. Where you have experienced God’s transformative power first hand in your life this way.

For me, most recently I can remember feeling hopelessly stuck in a situation. I couldn’t see God working in it at all and even attempted (and failed) to get out of my situation by doing things my own way. At the time I didn’t know it was God’s faithfulness and protection causing my own plans to fail. Causing them to fail because He had something so much better in mind for me to experience, if I would just trust Him.

Now, having endured through this, when I face a similar situation, I think back on this experience and my behavior is different. Now, instead of getting anxious, I have peace, trusting that His plan is better than mine. Trusting in His faithfulness. His divine protection.

“…unbelievable sights… indescribable feeling….”

Through this journey with God, unprecedented joy and hope is available to us in every difficult situation. Paul accessed this joy and hope during his time spent being imprisoned and persecuted for his faith. He tells us that despite all of this, he has learned the secret of being content in every situation. What is that secret? Christ. (Philippians 4:11-13) Knowing Him. Being perfectly loved by Him. Having Him as the perfect guide, anchor and Savior.

This is the hope, the light in us that others see that draw them to the same hope that is within us. The hope that Peter encourages us to always be ready to give an account for when others ask us for the reason for our hope (1 Peter 3:15). The hope and comfort we have from Christ that enables us to share this same hope and comfort with those around us.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

“…. don’t you dare close your eyes…”

We miss so much of what God is doing when we aren’t attuned to Him. To how He is working in even the smallest of details. His quiet whisper even while we are engaged in the seemingly mundane. It is especially in these small moments where we see the exciting over, sideways and under parts of our journey with Him. It can be as big as Him opening a door and clearing a path for us to walk in or as “small” as Him showing His love for us by supplying us with something we want or need.

But we miss all of this when we aren’t attuned to Him. When we are too focused in one area while His focus is on another. When we are busy looking for Him to speak in the earthquake and the fire but He speaks in a low and gentle whisper. (1 Kings 19:12)

“…Hold your breath it gets better….”

That’s the best part. It gets better. 

 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:19)

Our hope, our journey, it doesn’t end here. All these wonderful sights, thrills, and feelings here on earth are great, but there is so much more. 

 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. (John 14:2-3)

This earthly carpet ride with God is an adventure… new sights and thrills of highs and lows, much and little, strength and weakness, but at the end, is the beginning of a paradise with God that no man… no one, not even Adam and Eve who saw and walked with God upon the earth in its perfection…. no eye has seen what God has prepared for those who love Him. Those who trust Him. Those who take this journey with Him.

THEN JUMP.