Taking steps of faith (3)

‘Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, ‘We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.’ Numbers 13:30

A friend has just (this morning as I’m writing this) described to me how the Lord is leading him out from his secure job and ministry and home into a new work that is undefined, unclear, unsupported financially, but at the same time incredibly exciting full of evidence that God is establishing a new powerful ministry. There is a profound sense of peace in the Spirit over what is beginning to form. God is at work and is calling my friend to leave all his security and launch out into this new ministry. His family will be directly affected. His finances will be directly affected. Everything about their lives will be affected and changed. But Jesus Christ is Lord, and if he calls you to walk on the water, if he says, ‘Come Peter’, to you or to me, then you and I need to step out of the boat and walk towards Jesus.

When Peter walked on the water, he was closer to Jesus than anyone else in the world!

Do you want to get closer to Jesus? Then ‘seek first his kingdom and his righteousness’ and get ready to follow him and pay whatever cost there may be to follow him.

There comes a point in a disciple’s life where we each have to take a step forward.

To remain where we are is to fall short of what the Lord has for us, even perhaps to disobey.

Jesus called Peter to get out of the boat and walk on the water.

Jesus sent out the twelve on mission to heal the sick and cast out demons.

Jesus commissioned his disciples to go and make disciples – Matthew 28:19-20

The Holy Spirit called elders at Antioch to set apart Barnabas and Saul for the special work he had prepared for them to do – Acts 13:3

The Lord gave Archippus (probably only a young man) a task ‘to complete in the Lord’ – Colossians 4:17

The Lord had led his people across the desert, and they had witnessed his great power on their behalf, but they weren’t prepared to take the next step.

That generation never entered into their inheritance.