There’s a story in the Bible found in Luke 24:36-50, where Jesus performed the most amazing miracle. His disciples were caught off-guard in a terrible storm at sea and He showed up to the rescue them literally walking on the water! If that wasn’t incredible enough, during the rescue, one of His disciples did the most crazy thing! He asked Jesus for permission to duplicate His astonishing feat – come to Him walking on the water! Like, who does that?! Jesus’ response was equally surprising. He said yes, “Come.” What’s even crazier is that Peter obeys! He actually gets out of the boat…in the middle of that great storm and walks toward Jesus on top of the water! But something happened before he arrived. He looked down and started thinking about where he was, what he was doing and pretty soon fear gripped his heart and he began to sink.
Sometimes we too find ourselves doubting because we’re in a place where we shouldn’t succeed in the natural, but really it’s a place we’ve been called to in the spiritual. We start looking down at the “water” that we’re walking on, realizing that naturally, we shouldn’t succeed. You see, failure is a very real, likely possibility and doubt and fear creep into our hearts as we take our focus away from the One who called us and instead focus on the challenges before us. Then, quickly, we start to sink into our disbelief and return to the place where we should be “naturally” and resolve to only attempt those things that we think are possible. This is the place where we adopt a “natural” mindset, greatly undermining and limiting our own potential. In effect, we lock the door to our own future…our own destiny…our own great possibilities…our own high calling!
Part of the process of being restored involves God returning us back to where He intended for us to be all along – on top of the natural…on top of our problems…on top! The “on top” is a place so high, so great, it can only be reached with the help of the power of the Almighty God. So, is it any surprise as to the “impossibility” of it’s nature? It’s a “God-sized” calling after all!
Life has a way of causing you to sink so low beneath your problems. But, the good news is, God wants to raise you back up! Some of you may have gone through a break up, a divorce, a broken marriage, financial difficulties, past failures with pursuing your dreams. Again, God wants to raise you back up! God says in Joel 2:25 “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts (NLT).” The NIV puts it this way, “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.”
Are you feeling scared to today? Are doubts beginning to creep into your heart? Are you getting anxious because of the expectations placed on you? Take courage my friend. The fear, the doubts, the anxiety is a sign that God has placed you in a place far above the natural…high up above the possible that it will take His power to keep you. You are so high up, why would you want to return to being so low…in places where no miracles are required? The same God that called you, is the same God that will keep you! God wants you to believe again. Don’t look down. Look up and go ahead and walk on water. Attempt great things! Seek unbelievable opportunities! Reach incredible heights! Do impossible things! For the God who called you out on the water, will keep you! In the name of Jesus, believe, be restored, and go ahead and walk on water.
Andrew E. Gottlieb 