STEPPING OUT INTO THE
UNKNOWN
Several years ago I was
chubbier and I had a goal to lose some weight. I thought I would look prettier
and I’d be healthier too. But as I lost the weight I was getting more looks
from the guys and it made me uncomfortable and self-conscious. I nearly sabotaged
myself and thought about going off the diet. It’s kind of a silly example, but
how many times have we had a God-inspired goal for a godly reason and just as
we were really making progress, we ran across the first obstacle and wondered, “Did
I really do the right thing?”
It’s at those points that
we have to go back to our original motivation for the changes we’re making. If
our reason for even wanting to make a change came from a godly point of view,
then He will help us through the challenges and help us overcome any hurdle we
may come across. We can clearly see that the men and women of the Bible grew
spiritually as they were led by the Lord to step into the realm of the unknown.
As the author Israelmore
Ayivor says in his book Shaping the
Dream, “Break away
from the box confining you. Positive dreamers do not follow the status quo.
They keep raising the standard of the bar higher and higher. Raise the bar.”
But with
raising the bar in our spiritual lives, we need to know that what we aim for,
what we will gain in the end, will be well worth the jump. As one Bible teacher
puts it, “New level, new devil.” Growing spiritually is not for sissies.
In Matthew 14:28-32,
Peter took a bold step of faith. He could have drowned! “Peter said, ‘Lord, if it be
thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.’ And he [Jesus]
said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the
water, to go to Jesus.” So far, so good. In fact, amazing! “But when he saw
the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink.” Okay, big obstacle!
But look what Peter does and it’s what we have to do too. “He
cried, saying, Lord, save me.” I just love that. Just because we have the
courage to start something new, or enter a brave new phase of growth doesn’t mean we have to brave it alone!
Look at how the Lord reacted: “And immediately
Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught
him.” Jesus then said to Peter, “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou
doubt?” That’s where believing in the original aim is so important. Peter wanted
to grow his faith and that is a godly aim, so he shouldn’t have let the demon’s
distraction and stormy obstacle get to him. He should have kept his eyes on the
good future Jesus promised.
Jesus reprimanded Peter, but He didn’t abandon him. “And when
they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.” Notice that THEY
came back to the ship. So many people miss that. Jesus AND PETER came
back to the ship. That means that Peter was again walking on the water and this
time he reached his goal! The devil had to give up. He wasn’t going to win. The
Bible says: “the wind ceased.” The demon was deflated!
We’re like Peter. When we get into a new phase of life, or a
new spiritual level, the devil will try to back us down. If we are wanting to
be more loving, you can be pretty sure the devil will put you around the most
unlovable people he can find. If you’re praying to be better at exposing and
casting down demons, you can be sure you will be meeting some of the most
insidious. Are you are aiming at being a more patient person? You better be
ready for some really annoying stressors. I’m not trying to scare you; just
telling the truth.
The great thing is that there is no demonic force that can
stand up to the power of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 13:8 says: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and
forever.”
As we courageously step out toward those God-inspired aims,
goals and dreams, we will have times of attack, times of distraction and even
fear, but Jesus will always be there, just like He was with Peter. The Lord Jesus
will lift us up and we will walk on water with Him to reach what we were aiming
for.
Love, Carolyn
You can see some of my
other writing if you click “LOOK INSIDE” on any of my
books or booklets on Amazon
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