Christians, What does it mean to be truly standing in your faith? I feel that God often puts us through various difficult situations and circumstances specifically designed to challenge our faith. Why, you may ask? God is building us up. God wants us to have a strong foundation, and to be rooted and grounded, fully obedient, and fully reliant on Him for everything. As He tests us, He reveals to us where our faith is strong, but also exposes where it is weak. He does this for our own good. God is looking at the overall picture, the challenges we will face in our future, and He prepares us today for what we will face tomorrow.
How do we stand in our faith? I think of Peter, when Jesus came walking on the water, Peter called out for Jesus to call out to Him and He would come, in the midst of the storm.
Step 1: Don’t look at your surroundings and evaluate if you have faith. It never says that Jesus walked on water again, Peter had only one shot to show His faith and experience something miraculous. Whatever God is doing, will almost certainly LOOK impossible, because if you could do it by yourself, or in your own strength, faith would not be required to accomplish it.
Step 2: Get out of the boat, when He calls you. I think Christians, this is our biggest challenge we face. We see God moving in a big way, a new direction, we feel anointed, we call out for Him, He calls us to Him, and we FREEZE. We get caught up in a moment, we have the faith to ask, but do we have the faith to receive and proceed? God opens the door but will we walk through it into the unknown? Peter got out of the boat and started out, he did not falter until…he looked around.
Step 3: Never take your eyes off of Jesus. This is the second place where we might stumble. Once you exhibit the faith to get out of the boat, you have to lock in, set your sights, have a single eyed focus on Jesus. Don’t look at the raging storm, you knew it was raging before you left the boat. You never, ever take your eyes off Jesus, no matter what. However, IF YOU DO, cry out, like Peter. Jesus will rescue you, if you begin to sink. He will reach out, catch you, and set you back on solid ground. Don’t get distracted by anything. What you put your faith to, God will honor and bless, but you MUST stay focused, keep going, until you reach Him.
You don’t have to step out of the boat, 11 other disciples didn’t. There was no shame or condemnation for those who did not have the faith to get out of the boat. So why do it, why risk everything to stand in faith? To experience the miraculous! Peter was a fisherman and he knew the water. He probably had been in, on, and around the water all his life. He KNEW what he was seeing Jesus do was IMPOSSIBLE, but faith does not look at what is possible or impossible, faith looks at Jesus and says, He can do ANYTHING and I can do it with Him. When you have faith like that, it MOVES the Father’s heart. He is watching us, waiting for us, to stand in faith, to do the impossible.
When you trust God with everything, He has such a desire to prove He is worthy of our faith in Him. How much so? To the point of superseding the very laws of physics HE created, to see us walk upon the water with His Son. God is waiting for us Christians, to step out, to tread where others fear, to do what others cannot do, and to experience what everyone desires, but few experience: the ultimate, limitless, amazing, unfailing, miraculous, powerful, wonderful, unimaginable excellence that is God. So you have to ask yourself: for all of eternity, in my walk and calling with God, do I want to be one of the few that steps out of the boat? God NEVER disappoints, or fails to honor those who keep standing in Faith.
Father God, I pray for everyone that is looking to Jesus for the calling they have in their life. I pray that they are anointed with supernatural faith, to follow where you lead, to answer the call, and to do the impossible with You, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” 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. 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 worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed. Matthew 14:25-33 (NLT)
And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and [really] believing, you will receive. Matthew 21:22 (AMP)
But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]. Hebrews 11:6 (AMP)
For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment. Luke 1:37 (AMP)
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4 (NIV)
written and posted by Daniel Poggensee | 2023
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