I really like today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers because it addresses something that I have thought a lot about!
Don’t Think Now, Take The Road
And Peter…walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind
boisterous, he was afraid. — Matthew 14:29-30
The wind was actually boisterous, the waves were actually high, but
Peter did not see them at first. He did not reckon with them, he simply
recognised his Lord and stepped out in recognition of Him, and walked on the
water. Then he began to reckon with the actual things, and down he went
instantly. Why could not our Lord have enabled him to walk at the bottom of the
waves as well as on the top of them? Neither could be done saving by
recognition of the Lord Jesus.
We step right out on God over some things, then self-consideration
enters in and down we go. If you are recognising your Lord, you have no
business with where He engineers your circumstances. The actual things are, but
immediately you look at them you are overwhelmed, you cannot recognise Jesus,
and the rebuke comes: “Wherefore didst thou doubt?” Let actual circumstances be
what they may, keep recognising Jesus, maintain complete reliance on Him.
If you debate for a second when God has spoken, it is all up. Never
begin to say — “Well, I wonder if He did speak?” Be reckless immediately, fling
it all out on Him. You do not know when His voice will come, but whenever the
realisation of God comes in the faintest way imaginable, recklessly abandon. It
is only by abandon that you recognise Him. You will only realise His voice more
clearly by recklessness.
I have thought about this a lot because so many times the emphasis of lessons on Peter are about the fact that he got out of faith and began to sink. (But what a safety net he had!) The point that is made in the very first paragraph above is that the wind WAS boisterous and the waves WERE high when Peter stepped out of the boat to begin with! Peter was just SO focused on JESUS and what HE could do that he never even noticed the waves! But as Peter was WALKING ON WATER, he took his focus OFF of JESUS and on to the natural world around him! THAT is when Peter began to sink. And THAT is what happens to us when we determine to take God at His Word and step out in faith! We must train ourselves to NOT be moved by anything other than the Word of the Living God! THEN we will NOT sink, but continue on in OUR walk of faith, right to the end, the fulfillment, the target, the goal! Let's be at least as bold and confident of JESUS as Peter WAS and get ourselves out of that boat! When Oswald Chambers speaks of being 'reckless' above, he is speaking of going all out on God's Word with abandon, TRUSTING completely in JESUS to be true to His Word! Let's go for it! Who knows, YOU just might walk on water! OR preach the Gospel, heal the sick, raise the dead, multiply the food, all the while lifting up the mighty Name of JESUS! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Children of the Light", which is who we really are! 