Are You Really Trusting Christ?
Throughout our years of hiking, Jason and I have encountered some...well, let's just say... Interesting river and ravine crossings. I remember standing at the edge of a narrow rope bridge one day, staring at the yawning drop beneath it and wondering who in their right mind thought that was a good idea. I could see the bridge. I knew it was there. I could even agree that it was technically "a way" across that great divide, but my knuckles were white on the railing, and my feet were not cooperating. I believed in the bridge, but I didn't yet trust it, at least not enough to march my nervous self right out to the middle of it.
The Step That Matters
That's the difference we often gloss over when we tell people, "Just believe in Jesus, and you'll be saved." I can stand on the cliff all day, nodding politely at the bridge and explaining its engineering to anyone who will listen, but until I actually step onto it, my "belief" is just theory. Real trust shows up in where I rest my weight, what I stake my life on, and which direction my feet are pointed.
Head Belief vs. Heart Trust
Spiritually, it works the same way. Many people believe about Jesus. They believe He was born in Bethlehem, died on a cross, and rose again, and some might even do quite well on a Bible trivia quiz. Even the devils have that level of belief: "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." (James 2:19) That kind of belief is mere acknowledgment; it agrees with the facts but never leans its full weight on Christ, never bows the heart, and never says, "If this fails, I have no Plan B."
The Only Way Across
Saving faith is more like stepping out onto that bridge and refusing to keep one foot on "my goodness," "my religion," or "my record." Jesus did not leave us room for a spiritual detour when He said, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." When the Philippian jailer cried out, "What must I do to be saved?", the answer was not "Try your best" or "Add Jesus to your list" but "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." That is not a casual nod of agreement; it is a full-hearted, whole-life transfer of trust from self to Christ alone, from "I've got this" to "If You don't hold me up, I'm going down."
So, let me ask you what I had to ask myself on that bridge: Are you simply admiring Jesus from the safety of the cliff, or have you stepped out onto Him as your only way across? If your hope of heaven involves Jesus plus anything (good works, church membership, baptism, being "basically a nice person"), you're still clinging to the rocks while waving at the bridge. Today is a wonderful day to let go of every backup plan, step with both feet onto Christ, and rest your full weight on the One who has never lost a soul that trusted in Him.
🔍 PULLING BACK THE CURTAIN : A Peek at the Study Behind This Post
The spark for this devotion came from a discussion Jason and I had one day while out walking Tess. Sadly, a trend we’ve noticed in much of the preaching here in Wales centers on the idea of “Just believe,” but rarely goes beyond those words to explain what true belief is. As we discussed our concerns, the bridge analogy came to me.
When preparing for this devotion, I started with the mental image of the bridge and jotted down a few questions in my notebook: What’s the difference between believing the bridge exists and trusting it? How does that mirror people’s attitudes toward Jesus?
That took me to James 2, because the phrase “even the devils believe and tremble” kept echoing in my mind, so I read James 2 slowly to see how belief without works is described and how that kind of “faith” falls short.
Next, I wanted a verse that clearly shows Jesus is not just one option but the only way, so I turned to John 14:6 and copied it out by hand, underlining “the way” and “no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
To tie it directly to salvation, I looked up Acts 16:31, where Paul and Silas tell the jailer, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,” and I noted how that belief is a desperate, whole-hearted turning to Christ, not a casual checkbox.
Finally, I connected the dots: the bridge image, James’ warning about demonic “belief,” Jesus’ claim to be the way, and the jailer’s simple but costly trust—all of that became the backbone of the devotion, with the personal story added for color and honesty.
Total time: All told, this little study probably took about 30–40 minutes (not counting the walk and talk with Jason), plus a mug of hot tea and the occasional stare out the window while I argued with that imaginary bridge.
Now it’s your turn: Grab a single picture or question—maybe a door, a light, or a storm—and chase it through a few related passages. Ask, “What does this show me about who Jesus is and how I should respond?” You might be surprised how quickly a simple image turns into a rich, personal Bible study… and maybe even your own devotion.