Getting Out of the Boat

Some thoughts today on our faith. For those who are believers, every day should be a walk of faith. However, many of us who so willingly profess with our lips seem to stumble at the point of putting our faith into action. Even though we know what the bible says, we continue to keep our view of God in a box too small to be trusted for daily living, let alone for the greatest challenges we face. We say that God is all powerful and all knowing and pretty much omni-everything, yet we refuse to trust the details of our lives to Him. The strange thing is that life is an endless series of faith-actions. When I sit on a chair I exhibit faith the it will hold me. When I press the brake pedal in my car, I have faith the vehicle will stop. When I fly, I have faith in the pilot, but then I turn right around and prevent God from being the "pilot" of my life. I lack the faith to trust Him. Even the apostles struggled with this issue. After seeing countless miracles, they still doubted the ability of Jesus to protect them, to intervene in their lives. What we fail to realize is that faith is something that must be exercised, that grows with experience. We have to learn to trust God for those initial steps where the footing is unsure, even at the risk of failure. Sometimes, like Simon Peter, we simply have to take a deep breath and step out of the boat in faith. Is there risk? Is there danger? Certainly. However, perhaps the most dangerous thing to do by far ... is nothing.

Getting Out of the Boat
In the black of the night, the waves tossed the boat
And the roar of the wind filled the air
While the twelve weary men pulled, in vain, at the oars
They were frightened and close to despair
When Jesus appeared walking over the waves
Across the water, He came to their aid
Even though He had fed the five thousand that day
They couldn't believe, and the men were afraid
But Peter jumped up and cried, "Call to me, Lord
And I'll walk on the water to You!"
Jesus said, "Come." and Peter climbed out
Then he walked on the water too
The men in the boat, astonished, believed
Yet, though they had seen with their eyes
None, but Peter, stepped out of the boat with the Lord
None could muster the faith up to try
These were the men who had been with the Lord
Who'd seen Him heal the sick and the lame
Eleven disciples, the apostles, stood by
Unable to trust or to call on His name
How often we cower before the storm
Content to sit in the boat with the rest
Knowing well what the Lord has the power to do
But afraid to put faith to the test
Yet, God calls us to be more than soggy and scared
He calls us to stand up and fight
The storm still is raging, but Jesus says, "Come,
Who will walk on the water tonight?"

By Frank Carpenter ©