Matthew 14:22-33 – “Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. 25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”  28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”  31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”  32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”  NKJV

I have experienced times of wanting to do something bold and daring for God and found myself frozen with uncertainty and trepidation.  Through the years, I have learned a few things about launching into the unknown and much from the Lord in this passage.  There are several simple things that you must see:

• You Cannot walk on the water while sitting in the safety of the Boat.
• You Dare not get out of the boat unless the Lord calls you to step out.
• Once you get out of the boat, You Must Not look at the conditions.
• As you begin walking on the water, You Must keep your eyes on Him.

That is somewhat overly simplistic, but it is vital and valid.  You can live a good, productive, and even valuable Christian life sitting in the boat and catching fish from the boat.  But, if you want to move to a higher level, you must be willing to leave your safety net and step out into the impossible. 

Just because you want to do it does not mean it is God’s plan or timing for you to do so.  Therefore, you must hear His invitation to come.  Once you step out, you dare not look at the winds and waves, Conditions, and Avert your vision, diminish faith, and bring fear.  You Must stay focused on Jesus, and “though all hell assail you, know that Jesus will never fail you.”

So, if you want to do great exploits for God, you must be willing to Get Out of the Boak and Start Walking on the Water!

Blessings as you pursue the purposes of God today!