Dive Deeper

    Imagine you are out sailing on water, staring out across the sea.  Clouds of darkness begin to roll in, and the waves start to rock your boat.  You notice how your heart starts to pound louder and faster in your chest and your hands shake with fear.  You’re not sure how you are going to survive this massive storm.  Just then, words from a psalm enter your mind.

Psalm 42:5

Why, my soul, are you downcast?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God

    Rain starts to fall and you notice a familiar figure in the distance on the water.  Jesus, your friend, is walking towards you.  You squint and blink, but your eyes don’t deceive you.  Christ walks on the same waves that cause you to tremble. 

      “Take courage!  It is I,” Jesus speaks to you over the howling of wind.  “Don’t be afraid.”  

      You respond with, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.”

      “Come,” He says as He extends His hand out to you.

     Abandoning all logic and reason, you keep your eyes on the man who called you and take a step out onto the water.  

​

    While we probably will not literally be called to walk on water, there will be times in our lives when Jesus asks us to do things that don’t make sense and require an enormous amount of faith.  For some, that may look like abandoning a comfortable life to minister to the parts of the world that don’t know Jesus.  For others, it may mean that they give almost everything they have to those in need.  Whatever the situation may be, we are always called to have faith in the One who calls us.

​

    You begin to walk on the water closer to the hand that is extended towards you.  Though your eyes stay on Jesus, you hear the shouts from the waves all around you.  The water crashes and wets your cheek and sometimes the mist makes it difficult to see Jesus.  Trusting in His voice, you continue to place one foot in front of the other, having faith that He will not let you fall.

​

    Living out the life that God calls us to live is rarely easy.  There will be trials and distractions at every corner that will try to confuse us.  No matter how rocky life’s waves may be, know that the One that calls you will give you the strength to walk the path He prepared for you.

​

    All of the sudden, a gust of wind comes from the east and catches your attention.  You take your eyes off of Christ for only a moment and begin to fear that another gust will knock you into the sea.  That's when you feel your feet sink into the water.   You cry out to the Lord, begging Him to save you from disaster.

​

    Often, we don’t have the faith that we should and we will find ourselves sinking into the sea because we can’t save ourselves.  In these moments, we need to call out to Jesus and ask for forgiveness.  Thankfully, God is faithful and will always save us when we ask Him to.

​

    Before you are completely submerged, you feel a mighty hand grab your own.  Jesus lifts you from the depths of the sea and leads you back to your boat.

    “You of little faith,” He says to you.  “Why did you doubt?”

    You don’t have an answer to give Him, so you promise to act with more faith and obedience in the future and vow to surrender the rest of yourself to Him.

    “Jesus,” you say with wonder, “use me.  I’m Yours.”

​

We are going to mess up in this life, and time after time again we will act out in fear more than faith.  But even though we make mistakes, Jesus is always there waiting to save us when we call on Him.  And then as saved human beings, we are to surrender our lives to Him so that He can use us for His purposes.  

​

Questions for Reflection

1. Can you recall a time in your life when you were asked to act with faith?  What was that experience like for you?

2. What kinds of things cause you to stumble in your faith journey?  How can you protect yourself from these waves that pull you away from Jesus?

3. How has Jesus saved you when you’ve called out to Him in the past?  How can you remember these moments when you’re asked to act with faith again?