Today is part 2 of the “Invitation to the Impossible”. If you missed part 1, I invite you to first play episode 92. It was kinda my favorite devotional ever. Okay, it was my favorite, but today God may just show up and outdo himself again.
Let’s do a quick review. In Matthew chapter 14 Jesus and his disciples had just finished doing awesome miraculous things together like feeding a crowd of thousands of people with one little boy’s lunch and Jesus must have been kinda exhausted because he told the disciples to go on ahead to the other shore. So the disciples were out in their boat, far away from shore and a big ol’ storm hits. Jesus was up on a mountain praying through the night and he sees his best buddies in trouble. Now yes, it was 4 am, the very darkest part of the night, and no Jesus didn’t have binoculars or a spot light, but he could see them because he’s Jesus and nothing is impossible for him. So he springs into action and does the impossible to reach them … he walks on water.
Things went from bad to worse for the disciples because first they were just in a storm on the sea, but now they think they’re seeing ghosts and they all start crying. Jesus is like, “guys get it together. Take courage, it’s me. Don’t be afraid.”
Now, I’m just assuming here, but I feel like Jesus wasn’t planning on a 4 am stroll on the waters until he saw their need. It was the need of the disciples that caused him to leave his mountaintop prayer sanctuary and come into the middle of the storm.
It is your need that calls to Jesus. God responds to your need. He shows up when you need him. So let me put this in terms you can really relate to … ready for this because I’m about to drop a truth bomb on ya …
You acting like you don’t NEED anything is only separating you from God. Your “I’ve got this” attitude has got you in a mess and you will stay in that mess until you start seeking his help. Your need brings you to him, and him to you. What do you need? Do you need healing? Do you need provision? Do you need guidance? Do you need a breakthrough? Do you need a miracle? Yes? Then what you really need is Jesus.
You’ve seen those cute, trendy little t-shirts that say “ya’ll need Jesus” … well every single one of us should be wearing one today. He responds to our need. If you think you don’t need him, why would he come rushing to you? He knows that would be a waste of time. If I don’t need ketchup, I probably ain’t gonna go grabbing 5 bottles of it today at the market. I’m only grabbing ketchup if I need ketchup. And God knows if you have no need for him, you’re likely not gonna be grabbing for him either.
So, that’s why you have this need. That’s why you’re in a pickle. That’s why the storms have been a raging. Your need is God’s call in your life. And he responds to his call.
Now, back to Jesus’s buddies out here in this boat in the middle of a storm, they think he’s a ghost and he’s like “sike, it’s just me. Gosh, I got ya all. You were freaking out. Take courage, don’t be afraid.” Peter hears this and immediately says, “hey, if that’s you Jesus, tell me to walk out on the water to you.” And remember from yesterday’s episode, Jesus says what? He says, “come on then.”
Now again I’m just assuming here, but I don’t feel like Jesus had this miraculous experience all planned out for Peter. The bible doesn’t say so any way. It doesn’t say that Jesus went out on the water at the appointed time for Peter’s water walking lessons. Nope, Jesus was there because he saw a need. And now he sees Peter’s courage and it was as if Jesus just couldn’t help himself here. When Peter shows such courage to say, “hey, can I walk on the water with you”, Jesus is like “well, why not. Come on buddy!”
God responds to your courage. He shows up when you take courage, when you speak up, when you dare to show up and give your best effort.
What if today your courage summoned the miraculous works of the almighty in your life. What if he doesn’t really have anything remarkably big planned for today, but he’s just waiting on you to ask for something remarkably big, and when you do he will respond.
I’m just proposing that perhaps it’s your courage that opens the doors to the impossible in your life. God is looking for some courageous girls today to say “why not me God? I want to walk on water with you. I want to go. I want to do the impossible with you.” Will that be you today?
God responds to your need, so go ahead and be vulnerable enough to admit you need him today. God responds to your courage, so go ahead and dare greatly today.
Now, one last note here to be sure you see the full picture of how this is going to go down. Don’t you say I told you it would be easy. Don’t you assume things will go swimmingly for you. That’s not the way it works sister. You probably won’t sail off into the sunset, not yet anyway. How does the story end? Peter jumps out of the boat and walks on the water to Jesus. Woooohooooo, how awesome is that. He’s doing it. He’s doing the impossible with Jesus. And then reality hits. This is some scary stuff. And when he starts looking around at the water and the storm and the boat he’s no longer safely in, he starts sinking.
Reality will hit for you too. You will have moments of full on panic and freak out. You will start to sink. But girl, Jesus has got you. Stop looking at the storm. Stop looking back at the boat you were in. Now’s not the time to imagine all the “what-ifs”. Verse 31 says “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.” Why? Because Peter called out, Jesus save me.
And here Jesus responded once again to his need. It’s a cycle. You have a need, God responds to your need. You show courage, God responds to your courage. Then you’re back in need again, and there he is. Boom you have courage, and God says “okay girl let’s do this thing together!”
