Repeat performance- Sink or swim? Walk it out- In His Word 2-16-16




Waking up earlier than I wanted I rolled over and asked God to give me until a specific time to wake up; a time in which I knew I could still get everything done I needed to without rushing through my prayer time.
The sleep was sweet and when I awoke to a song in my heart I saw the time was exactly one minute after what I had asked. I was still sleepy though, so I began thinking of bargaining with God to let me sleep a few more minutes; after a moment of thought on this I decided I had to own up to my word and get up. I thanked God for waking me and slowly dragged myself out of the room and on to my day.

It would have been so easy to slip back to sleep, I was really tired and had a right to another half an hour; but I had prayed and asked God for something and how was I going to go back on that now that I had it?

Peter is known as the Rock, he was solid in his convictions that Jesus is Lord, and he was the one who had the faith to walk on water just because Jesus called him out.
But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. Take courage. I am here!”
Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”
“Yes, come,” Jesus said.
So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. Matthew 14 27:29
Many years back I had asked God if He wanted me to be baptized. I asked Him to let a friend be the connecting point to getting me to a place to be baptized and did not tell said person. What a shock when the very person called me up and asked if I wanted not only to go with her to work to be encouragement while she asked for a raise but to go first to her brother’s Baptismal Service! 
God had not only heard my prayer but He called me on the faith that He had given me to pray for it to happen and I was baptized that day as well. From that day on I was connected to Christians who would help me grow not only in Christ but as a person of faith. Jesus uses this small thing to remind me when I choose to stand in faith for big things. I could list a lot of times I failed in my faith to believe, but God always comes through when I trust Him.
We fail in our faith, not because we do not have the faith given to us but because we choose to step it up a notch in our selves and ignore that fact that God’s timing is perfect.
Imagine if you were Peter; you step out and begin to walk looking at Jesus, all is well. Then you remember there is a storm brewing around you; it was dark and stormy according to the Word. You get a little fearful and forget to keep your eyes on Jesus and poof, or rather plop; splash, glug… and you cry out “Help me Jesus!”


And He stretches out His hand to save you, again.

But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him.
“You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”
When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshipped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.  Matthew 14: 30-32.
The scripture tells us the rest of the disciples in the boat were totally convinced that Jesus was the Son of God because of this scene. Why was Peter so easily swayed? Why do we stumble over our own faith to allow God to work things through?
We stumble when we do not watch where we are going, but we watch what’s going on around us. God is good; He will not leave us alone to flounder long. Jesus reached out right away, immediately to grasp Peter’s hand. All he had to do was call on Him.
“Thus says the Lord who made it, the Lord who formed it to establish it (the Lord is His name): ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ Jeremiah 33:2-3
Call to Him today; He is waiting to answer us and show us great and mighty things that we do not know, for He has a plan for us, He has given us direction but we are failing in our faith to trust Him to do what He promised. Maybe it seems that things of this world are distracting us, or maybe it’s because we have waited so long that we figure He just changed His mind.
But God--- God will never leave us nor forsake us.
God will always answer us, our job is to listen for His answer and accept it when it comes. Get out of bed! You asked for it, you got your answer but you did not like it.
Just like when I was awakened at the specific time I asked for, I didn’t want to get up.
God wants us to know that He has answered our prayers and we just have not made a move; so get up or call out for help!
Dear heavenly Father, Thank you for being our hand extended to pull us up out of the storm, out of the bed we have put ourselves into. Don’t allow us to ignore Your voice today. Help us to walk in You, in Jesus name, amen.

Suggested Reading: Jeremiah 33:1-25, Matthew 14:1-36, Psalm 142:1-7 and Romans 8:1-39.