Walking on Water (1)
The disciples were out fishing one night when a huge storm struck. About 3 a.m. they were terrified by a figure approaching them on the water. ‘...Immediately Jesus spoke… “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid”… Peter answered…“Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You”…So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water… to Jesus.’ (Matthew 14:27–29 NKJV)
This story teaches us, first, that if the Lord doesn’t call us to do it, don’t! There’s a story about a man standing at the gates of Heaven. Peter says, ‘Name one great deed you’ve done.’ The man replies, ‘Well, a gang of bikers was threatening a woman so I smacked them, kicked over their bikes and ripped out their nose rings.’ Impressed, Peter asks, ‘When did this happen?’ The man answers, ‘About 30 seconds ago!’ To walk on water you must learn to discern [tell the difference] between God’s voice and your own impulses. Second, it teaches us that to experience miracles, we must get out of our comfort zone. Exchange places with Peter. The storm is raging and he’s afraid. The boat’s secure and comfortable. Wouldn’t you want to stay there? But you can’t. God designed you to do more than simply avoid failure; He’s calling you to step out in faith and accomplish things. You say, ‘What’s my boat?’ It’s anything you put your faith in when life gets stormy, like a job or a relationship. Your boat is anything that stops you from getting out of your comfort zone. Leaving it is the scariest but most rewarding step you’ll ever take!