1.22.2009

2 Great Deeds

Over the years I have told and reenacted these two great deeds countless times to groups of children. I love watching these pieces of history come to life and, more importantly, how they demonstrate how awesome our God really is. He can multiply food by the thousands and defy gravity by walking on water and all while involving Himself and interacting on a personal level with the people.

The walking on the water story became very personal to me about 4 years ago. Darin’s job had been cut in a work force reduction and we had been feeling a huge tug to move on…but to where, to what? I remember the day vividly, as I sat in the prayer room pouring my all out to God for direction. “Just show me what you want us to do,” I cried over and over again. And that’s when He brought me to Matthew 14:22. I saw the whole story play out in my mind, but this time it wasn’t Peter stepping out of the boat it was me. “Just sep out of the boat” God told me several times. But each time His command was met with a question from me “How?” “When?” And the only response was “You’ll know when it’s time.” I have to admit I walked away not feeling much more at peace and with little resolve, but I clung to the hope that I would know. A year later, I knew. We had a difficult and scary decision to make. Make a commitment to move to Arizona when our house hadn’t sold yet and neither of us had jobs lined up. And it was in that situation that I knew it was time, time to step out of the boat. I told Darin that instead of us waiting on God to put everything all in order, God was waiting on us to step of the boat and walk. So we did.

The great deeds in our reading today are powerful testimonies to who Jesus is. I love that Jesus is so BIG and powerful and so small and intimate at the same time. That just blows my mind sometimes! I share my story today because it was a very powerful lesson for me; a time when I truly feel my faith was tested. Could I step out of the boat? Could we totally go on faith? I thank God today for reminding me of it today so that I never forget how precious my faith in Him really is.

I encourage you today to reflect on a moment or moments in your life where you stepped out of the boat. But go beyond that, share it someone today. Let your “walk on water” be an encouragement, a testimony, a challenge to someone God has put in your life. And let us walk tall today, whatever challenges come our way, knowing our faith is enough.
Posted by Lori Prather

3 comments:

  1. NedheadJanuary 22, 2009 at 8:59 PM

    Rock on, Momma! If you want to walk on water, you've got to get out of the boat.

    Nothin' to say Grant?

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  2. GESJanuary 23, 2009 at 5:25 PM

    Lori: I am so appreciative of your personal account. In the current challenging economic environment, it is that much more difficult to step away from the security of our position, power and/or wealth to rely solely and wholly on Jesus. Thanks for your reminder. The "rich" series is so timely in this regard. Thanks Matt for your teaching in this regard (with appropriate cudos to Andy Stanley).

    As to Nedhead.. I still have a comment regarding this chapter...

    Matthew 14:13
    Now when Jesus heard about John, He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself; and when the people heard of this, they followed Him on foot from the cities.

    In the context of this chapter Christ removed himself from the crowds to grieve the death of John. Here again we see the divine God affected by an emotion attributable to human kind. He is fully God, yet demonstrates, even in this brief account a “stepping away” into seclusion to contemplate and pray over a friend’s passing. What is the “take away”? Emmanuel, God incarnate, born of a virgin in a fully human delivery brought a message in a form and format that allowed mankind to relate to God at their own level. What better way to demonstrate the importance of personal relationship with God then by deigning to come to earth as flesh, living a sacrificial life of service and compassion, dying a cruel and excruciating death for His claims, all of which impacted human kind like no other figure in recorded history. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus imparts the powerful promise of salvation but also, in the process, underscores God’s unconditional love and desire for personal relationship. Why else would he have come?

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  3. Pam SmithJanuary 30, 2009 at 11:53 AM

    Again, in 14:30 Peter began to sing when he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at his circumstances.

    Dan and I have stepped out of the boat and given Him all we have (which is insufficient), but in His hands becomes more than enough. Our contribution is meager, please pray that He will use and multiply what we have given Him.

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