Monday, November 8, 2010

That's My Boat

This weekend I visited my old church and got to hear one of my favorite preachers deliver a good Word on standing firm in adversity. While there were many golden nuggets in his message (which you can hear in its entirity here: http://www.tnova.org/media.php?pageID=22, under the date 11/7/10), the one that stood out to me was this quote:

"There are things we learn in the storm that we can not learn on the shore".
 - Pastor Kyle Cheatham                    

How very, very true. Most people hate the storms of life because they bring chaos to our routines and habits. They force us in to an unwanted place of DIScomfort, and we are a people who love our own comfort. It is much easier to enjoy life from the shore, where we can watch the wind and the waves, but not necessarily feel them. I would say that many people would prefer the safe and secure life, but this is seldom where the growth occurs. 

I am reminded of the story of Peter's walk on the water with Jesus. Peter and the other disciples where in a boat, on the water, in the middle of a terrible storm. And Jesus comes walking toward them, on the water. The disciples were afraid and Jesus calmed them by revealing Himself to them. 

"Peter answered him, 'Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.' He said, 'Come.' So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, 'Lord, save me!' Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, 'You of little faith, why did you doubt?' - Matthew 14:28-31

Peter was a fisherman by trade. He knew how to work a boat and had done so many times. And yet, the storm of this night was enough to make even him afraid of capsizing. He and his disciple friends were trying to figure out the best plan of action when along came Jesus, walking on the water. And Peter asked to join Him in the water. In the midst of these terrible conditions, Peter had eyes only for Jesus, and he asked to join Him in the wind and the waves.

What I love about this story is the fact that it forces me to think about the driving force in my own life, is it faith or fear? Fear keeps us rooted in the boat (or on the shore), where we feel safe. But faith gives us that courage to step out of the boat, and risk failure.

In verse 22 , the Bible says, "Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd." Did you catch that? Jesus put the disciples in the boat and sent them out. He knew the storms were coming and He sent them in to it anyway, in a tiny boat no less. There will always be storms in life, even for those who are obedient to do what the Lord asks. The disciples were not spared the discomfort of the storm simply by entering the boat at Jesus' command. But when Jesus came, at the most unexpected moment and in the most unexpected circumstances, only one voice asked to join Jesus in the water.

Peter stepped out, and he did sink. But did he fail? He alone stepped in to the water, for no other reason than because that was where Jesus was at. He sensed the opportunity to be near Him and to do something that required faith and he "came toward Jesus" while the others remained in the boat. That is not failure. That is faith. It is true that sometimes faith fails us when we need it most. Sometimes our initial faith fails us and we sink. But even then, Jesus is near enough to lift us up. The other eleven disciples stayed safe in the boat. They let their fear keep them from doing something remarkable. Only Peter got to experience the joy of walking on the water with Jesus.

I ask you today: what is your boat? What is that thing in your life that keeps you comfortable and safe? What are you afraid of losing and leaving the most? That is your boat. And where are you in regards to that boat? Are you sitting firmly in it? Are you straddling the boat with one foot in the water? Or have you stepped out of the boat to walk towards Jesus?

In this moment of your life, what is guiding you, your fear of the storm, or your faith in the one who made it?


Much of this comes from the book "If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat" by John Ortberg. For anyone who is interested.

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