Stay Out of the Boat...


And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."  So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.  But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord save me!"  And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Matthew 14:28-32


I felt compelled today to write about the title of this blog "Courage to Stay Out of the Boat".  While reading this text a few months ago the Lord hit me over the head with 3 things.  


1. What could Peter have seen/learned if he would have stayed out of the boat?
Now I have to give Peter props for even being willing to step out.  But what would have happened if he stayed out?  I've always had a fascination with the ocean.  While in FL last month we went to Daytona Beach.  The water was the most clear I had ever experienced.  You could see schools of fish swimming in almost every wave that came forward.  It was amazing.  But can you imagine what's waaaaay out there?  What you could see out where the boats are, and Peter and Jesus are just walking out there.  Our minds can barely wrap around the thought of something like that.  What does an experience like that do for one's faith?  But then he saw the wind. It wasn't that the wind was not always there, Peter just started taking notice of it instead of watching the Creator of it.


2. Fear that makes you say "God take me back to what I've always known. Take be back to safety!"  Here's been my life in a nutshell the past few years.  Stay in the boat.  Or if you feel bold enough today to venture out and trust God just keep the boat close by so you can jump back in.  I don't want the boat.  I want Jesus and all that He desires for me to do and be.  Which means, guess what, the boat has to get left behind.  What am I scared of anyway.  The author and and the finisher of my faith is before me, behind me and on every side of me.  What am I scared of?  His word will not come back void and if He says He knows the plans that He has for me and they are for my good and not to harm me, I better grab hold of that and believe it.  He says ALL THINGS work together for the good of those that love Him and are called according to His purpose.  Whom, What, Where, When shall I fear?!?!?!  How come we don't live like that?  Because we can.  We just don't believe that we can, because we are allowing ourselves to be caught up in the winds of fear, shame, resentment, bitterness, anger, guilt, discontentment, complacency, comfort and all the other tools that the enemy loves to pull out to rob us from experiencing the out of the boat faith Christ desires for us to achieve.


3. v:31 And Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him. Immediately, which means what?  Jesus was closer than Peter even realized.  Jesus is closer than we even realize.  Sometimes it feels like we are walking on the great big ocean with winds at every side and Jesus is no where in sight.  But is that truly the case?  No, it's not.  Not at all.  He is forever and always aware of you.  He is in love with you.  You are the apple of His eye.  He delights in you and at the very thought of you.  So don't get caught up in what it looks like, because what you see does not have to be what you get.  What you get could be so much more if you decide to see past the wind.  My mother always says "Trials don't come to stay, they come to pass."  Remember that.  God's plan for your life is so much greater.

HE + ME = PHILIPPIANS 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

STAY OUT OF THE BOAT!