If you Want to Walk on Water You Need to Get Out of the Boat.

by John Ortberg

• 
  
  Walk on water?    
• Is that possible?
• Are you ready for the challenge?

Do you have fears that keep you from stepping out in faith?

What is your greatest fear?

What do you not do because of fear?

 This is the story from Matthew 14:25-32 in which Peter sees Jesus walking on water and steps out of the boat amidst a storm and begins to walk toward Jesus. Unbelievable you say? Yes, to our way of thinking in this world we have created for ourselves, with our comfort zones and our preconceived ideas of who we think God is and how He should do things. This is a lesson in belief, trust, fear and failure and what happens to us in our daily lives when we allow these different aspects to become a part of us. We can triumph or sink.

Hope got Peter out of the boat.

Trust held him up.

Fear sank him.

This book takes us through the process of the faith that is required to do great things in this life for the kingdom; how we think, what we feed our minds, those we associate with, the books we read, the programs we watch and the music we listen to. How does all this affect us in our thoughts and daily lives?

How ofter do we shrink back when we should confront; worry when we could pray; cling to things when we could generously share; and stay in the boat when we could walk on water.

What speaks to me about this story is that Peter took a step of faith and got out of the boat into the stormy sea and began to walk on the water; as long as he looked to Jesus and not at the waves and the storm surrounding him he stayed afloat but the minute he took His eyes off of Jesus he sank. There is so much to be learned in this simple story yet the ramifications of what this could mean to you and I on a daily basis is incredible. To be linked to the creator of the universe on His missions is so amazing that He would allow us to be a part of His Work. What better purpose can we have in life and what would be more fulling than this.

I believe

I trust

I act

I focus on Him

I wait for Him to act.

This is what I aspire to do on a daily basis.

But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall walk and not faint they shall run and not be weary. Forty three times in the Old Testament the people are told to wait on the Lord. What God does in us while we wait is as important as what we are waiting for.

If you are looking for an encouraging book to discover the process of taking a chance with God then this is the book for you, it will light your way and give you the tools to understand this story in a new way. If He asks you to get out of the boat to walk on water He will give you the strength as long as you keep your eyes on Him, just remember this is not during a calm time in your life it is during the stormy seas that happen to all of us,  it is a matter of trust.

So as we go about life in these uncertain times it is important to remember that God has a plan for each of us and He wants us to be a part of it but sometimes that requires us to get out of the boat and hold His hand and not look to the storm raging about us as we WALK ON WATER!

May God increase your territory and may you have the faith to walk on water with HIM,

Barbara