Get out of the boat

I have found myself often relating to the person of Peter, one of Jesus' disciples.  Peter was a bit of a knuckle head.  He was impetuous and impulsive.  He put his foot in his mouth and did stupid things.  He is the kind of person who would jump off a building and on the way down think "Hmmm, I probably should have thought this out a bit....."  Peter didn't hold back.  It was all or nothing.  Sometimes he got it wrong and sometimes he got it very, very right.  Peter didn't like to play it safe - he wanted to be with Jesus, see what Jesus saw, do what Jesus did.  That's why it was no surprise that when Jesus appeared to the disciples, walking on the water, Peter was the one who said, "If it's you, call me to walk on water."  Jesus did just that, AND Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water.  Yes, he took his eyes of Jesus and began to sink, but Jesus used that as a teaching opportunity for Peter.  BUT, he got out of the boat!!!  And because he did, he walked on water.  

What's holding you back?  The last few years of our life have been tough.  I'm not going to lie.  Everything we knew, everything we considered "secure" was gone in a flash.  No job. No friends. No church.  See that was our "in the boat moment".  It was the time that we saw the wind and the waves.  Just as we thought we were done in, along came Jesus, walking on the water of our life.  He walked on what we saw as turmoil.  He told us to come, step out of the boat, and we did. We have gotten to experience God in a new way - total trust, total dependence.  We told God a long time ago that our lives were His - He could do whatever He desired.   This has been a wild road, but God has been in it.  We are going to stay out of the boat, walking on the water.  God has us in His hands.  He is birthing things in us. To walk on water, you have to keep your eyes on Jesus. That is not such a bad thing!! 

I want to encourage you today!!  Don't waste your life fearing what could happen. TRUST GOD!  Get out of the boat and see what God can do with a bunch of water walking Christians!!!