STEPPING OUT INTO THE UNKNOWN
Friday, we ordered chicken, mashed potatoes, and macaroni
and cheese. Yesterday we had left-overs. I knew I should get out the vegetables
to eat with the chicken, but instead, I finished off the mashed potatoes with
all the left-over gravy and ate all the macaroni too. I’ve gained weight, and
God already inspired me to start eating more raw vegetables. But the weight
wasn’t coming off, so I was giving up. How many times have we had a
God-inspired goal for a godly reason, and we ran across the first obstacle and halted,
“Was it really the right thing to do?”
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, or even the most mundane natural act of losing some
weight, 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
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 for Peter. The Lord
Jesus or even one or more of His angels will lift us up, and we will walk on
water to reach what we were aiming for.
Love, Carolyn
You can see some of my other writing if you click “LOOK
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