Here is the revelation shaping my life today:
Peter shouted out, “Lord, if it’s really you, then have me join you on the water!” “Come and join me,” Jesus replied. So Peter stepped out onto the water and began to walk toward Jesus. But when he realized how high the waves were, he became frightened and started to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he cried out. Jesus immediately stretched out his hand and lifted him up and said, “What little faith you have! Why would you let doubt win?”
Observation
Waves or Jesus? Wherever you look so shall you live. Shakespeare said “be aware of the story you tell yourself for you will surely be lived by it. Waves or Jesus!
I want a life that is full of the beauty of heaven being released in me, through me, by me. So the real question is where and what am I looking at in order to shape this story – Circumstances or Christ?
Fear and doubt are the temptations that I so often empower. Fear will always have me look away. The enemy uses fear as a weapon to undermine my faith and have me look at my circumstances through the lens of me, and when it’s just me of course I doubt that I can walk on water. Fear always says “you’re alone,” and when the story is “alone” then the waves will always seem overwhelming.
When it is just me, doubt has a field day. Fear removes Jesus from my view, and doubt moves the waves into full screen. Every story, every circumstance of my life, takes on a different shape when I allow, invite, see that Jesus is present inviting me walk with him. Take him out and you see waves, and fear and doubt overcome me, see and hear Jesus and I can walk on water.
And i can live in absolute confidence, because if I step out but then loose my focus, my faith, and start to sink in fear of the waves, all I need to do is cry out “Save me,” Jesus immediately always stretches out his yes. Even when I have denied him, looked away at the waves, he saves me. Salvation is never further away than my cry out!
Application
I really want to live my life walking on water. Whenever I ask to live this amazing life, following him wherever he invites me, its always an adventure of abundance and mystery, of the upside down life of water walking. Where I look, whether I invest my life in faith or fear, this is the key to a water walking life. I will not give fear and doubt a shaping voice in my life, I will desire to step out with Jesus and I will keep my faith fixed on where he calls. And I will not fear failure, for when I fail I will be quick to call out “save me.”
Response
Thank you that life with you in your Kingdom is a life that defies what the natural world offers me. Thank you that you invite me out of the safety of the boat and into the adventure of the waves. Thank you that you do not do this to me, but you invite me to exercise my choice of faith always in order to walk with you. Thank you that you give me the faith I need in any circumstance I find myself. You never drag me out of the boat. I am a blessed man to be able to live life on the water.
Meditation
Take a moment to meditate on the ways fear and doubt can/have undermine you from living the life you desire. Hear the voice of Jesus invite you to walk into that life with him, and exercise your faith to step out. Choose to invite Jesus into every frame of your life.
JOURNEY DEEPER
