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September 2006
Recklessly Faithful
"Lord, if it's you,"
Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
"Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked
on the water and came toward Jesus. (Matthew 14:28-29)
Peter looked around him. It did not seem possible. But he
clearly heard the Lord calling him, so he stepped out of the
boat. To any observer it did not make sense. In fact, it
seemed insane - to think that one could walk on water – ha!
But that's just it, the Lord had not called Peter to think,
or to survey the situation, or to convene a committee to
evaluate and report back. The Lord called Peter to step out
on faith-and that's what Peter did the moment he got out of
the boat. Things were fine until Peter took his eyes of
faith off the Lord and began to consider the situation with
the eyes of man. Peter realized that what he was doing was
reckless, difficult, and even foolish! Peter could not
justify his actions on grounds of reason or probability. And
so he began to sink.
In each of our lives, the Lord calls us to places unknown,
waters uncharted, and actions requiring more strength of
faith than we would believe possible. Yet when we answer the
Lord’s call and step out on faith, despite how reckless or
foolish it may seem, the Lord blesses it. Truly, the Lord
cannot work with the person who is operating under their own
power. It is our faith that allows God to work great things
in and through us. The challenge for us is to cooperate with
Him despite our feelings of inadequacy or uncertainty.
Now if we are to step out on faith, it is important to be
sure that we are following the Lord's leading. It is of
course possible to venture into dangerous territory where
the Lord is not calling us. That is why we must be in
constant, prayerful communication with the Lord, and be able
to distinguish our Shepherd’s voice by being familiar with
it through regular study of His Word. At Saving Grace, we
have undertaken the Strategic Ministry Planning (SMP)
process. In this process we as a congregation have
prayerfully sought the Lord's calling for our church. He is
calling us to step out on faith, but He promises to be
faithful to that calling just as He was with the apostle
Peter that evening in the boat. I pray that we will learn
from Peter and keep our eyes focused on Jesus, having no
fear and trusting that He will guide us in safety.
See you in ministry!
Pastor Augie
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