I realize that I am sitting in my safe comfortable home, only partially understanding what I am saying, but I don't want to live on the boat. I want to step into the unknown, the things that are too big for me, the places where only Jesus goes before me.
Why do I want to step out onto the water? I imagine it is the same reason Peter did - he saw Jesus there and he wanted to go after Him. I realize that Jesus can be with us anyplace. However, Peter came to know Jesus in a greater way. Those who remained on the boat, learned that Jesus could calm the wind from the safety of the boat. Peter learned that He was safe with Jesus even without the boat. He developed a trust in Jesus that is not possible to learn from inside the boat.
I want to step out of the boat because God has no limits, but we are often limited to seeing only what He can do on the boat. I believe He wants to show us more, but we need to trust Him more than we trust the boat. We can ask Him to help us feel safe on the boat or we can ask Him to invite us to experience something greater with Him.
Clearly, if Jesus is not standing in the waves, we should not step out into a raging sea. But, we should be watching for Him and listening for His voice along the journey so we don't miss the invitation.
I don't know what that looks like, but I know what He cares about and where to look for Him. I know He came to preach the Gospel to the poor, proclaim freedom for the captives and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, and declare the favorable year of the Lord (Luke 4:18). He came for the poor, the abandoned, the forgotten, the widow, the fatherless, the hungry, the sick, the oppressed, the lame, the prisoners, the brokenhearted, the sinners...for all who recognize their need for Him. Stepping out of the boat means I get to go with Jesus to see lives transformed.
I'm looking for a place where there is a great need for Him. If I see Him standing in the middle of it, I will ask Him to invite me to come.
