You are being called out of the boat, into the water and into your next place of promise. Yes, you are being called to a place of promise. A place God has been preparing you for. A place of full circle, meaning, purpose and destiny.

Do you want to go there? Do you want to experience the life God created you for, to it’s fullest? Great, because today you take the next step.

Time and time again throughout scripture we see God calling his people out of their place of comfort and safety, to go on a journey that will change everything. Let me tell you, God’s still in the business of leading those kinds of journeys.

Peter was a fisherman. There was no where Peter was more comfortable than on a boat. And Jesus called him right out of the boat, literally. He said drop your nets and follow me. He also invited Peter to do the impossible with him, walk on water.

Now imagine this scene laid out of us in Matthew 14: 22-34. Jesus’ disciples are out on a boat and they are far from shore. Jesus has gone up on top of a mountain to pray. The disciples get themselves into some trouble with a wild storm at sea. All the while Jesus is watching them.

Now this alone should give us some confidence. It’s the middle of the night which means what … it means it was dark. The disciples are far from shore on a boat with no lights. I mean ya’ll it’s not like they were on a party barge with a disco light. And it’s not like Jesus had binoculars or a spotlight. They were out of sight. But Jesus had his eye on them. Through the distance and the darkness he could see them.

Girl, he sees you. He sees the storm you’re in. He knows the trouble you face. His eye has been on you the entire time. In Psalm 32:8 God says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” His loving eye is on YOU. In Genesis 28:15 God says “”I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.” HE SEES YOU. He knows right where you are, he knows the doubts the enemy has placed in your mind, he knows the very things that threaten you and your family. Nothing has gone unnoticed here. Nothing. Every detail is seen and known by our almighty and powerful God.

Now, the question is, if he sees us, if he knows what’s happening, what is he going to do? Let’s go back to our story in Matthew 14. When they were in trouble, he went out to them. How did he get there? Oh, he did the impossible. He walked on water, because that’s what Jesus does.

And that’s what Jesus does today to get to you. He does the impossible. Perhaps you’re listening and your heart is burdened for someone who you fear is too far gone. You can’t reach them and their situation is hopeless. Here’s what you do, you continually bring them to the foot of the cross. You relentlessly pray for them. There’s nothing more you can do here, and it may seem impossible at this point, but we have a savior who specializes in the impossible! Watch Jesus do the impossible to reach them. Whatever their storm is, he will walk right through it.

The storm of addiction. The storm of rebellion. The storm of lies and darkness, depression, self-harm, hopelessness, deceit, and evil. The storm of adultery. The storm of bad thoughts, bad choices, and bad actions. Jesus is walking right through it all to get to you … to get to them.

We pick up in Matthew chapter 14, verse 25 & 26: “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!”

Ahhhh yes, doesn’t this sound about right. Things are bad, real bad. What time was it? 3:00 in the morning. That’s the darkest time, just before dawn. If you’re in your darkest time, this is the perfect time for Jesus to make his entry. This is HIS TIME! Jesus loves him some rock bottoms because this is where he can rebuild you best. Someone you love will soon be hitting their rock bottom. Just when it’s the darkest, just when they can’t go any further down, their life is going to be radically transformed and rebuilt by the ONLY ONE who can.

But you see, the disciples didn’t know it was Jesus coming for them. They’re out there on the sea in the middle of a storm, they’re in trouble and now something really scary shows up. A ghost. Now they’re crying. But all the while it was Jesus.

Could the scary thing that has shown up in the middle of your storm be Jesus? Could the thing that has you crying be your savior, but you just don’t recognize him. He’s been watching you. You have never been lost from his sight. And now here he is to save you, but it doesn’t look like him. It looks like the worst news you’ve ever received. It looks like a deadend. It looks like a NO in all caps. It looks hopeless. But could this be how Jesus is showing up in your darkest time? I know from experience God shows up in some bizarre ways in my life and my track record shows I don’t always catch on real quick. I spend too much time worrying and crying when all along it’s him. He’s there. He just doesn’t look as I imagined he would look. He doesn’t work as I imagined he would work.

So, as the disciples are in this boat, in the middle of a storm, now being confronted by something even scarier, what they believe is a ghost, Jesus comforts them. In verse 27 he says “Don’t be afraid. Take courage. I am here!”

Take courage. Take courage. This is an action. Take it. Choose it. You have a choice here. You can take you some courage or you can take you some fear. Which one will you be putting on today? Fear or courage? I have myself a few power dresses. I wear them when I need to take courage and show up. I also have a few outfits of fear and I occasionally slip into them to find comfort as I wallow in the sorrows of the current darkness. That’s just stupid. I surrender my power when I need it most. What are you wearing today? Don’t wear fear. Wear courage! What are you thinking today? Think courageous thoughts! Fearful thoughts are cheap and easy and they’re authored by the enemy of lies and defeat. What are you saying today? Speak courageously!

I hope you take courage. I hope you refuse fear. Fear has you stuck. Fear has you freaking out, misinterpreting all the things God is trying to do in your life. Fear has you focused on all the wrong things and missing your miracle.

The Message translation goes on to to say after Jesus told the disciples to take courage, Peter was “suddenly bold.” Suddenly bold. Like a shot of confidence and energy went running through his veins and he stepped right up to experience his miracle. Ahhhhh yes, please Jesus, let that be us today. You’re calling us to take courage. Let us be suddenly bold. Let us step up to experience what you’re offering us right here, right now.

Peter with his sudden boldness says “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

Lord, if it’s you tell me to get out of this boat. If it’s you tell me to take the next step. Isn’t this what we miss here in this story? Peter didn’t ask for Jesus to come rescue him from the storm and magically carry him to the safe shore. Isn’t that what we do? “Lord, get me out of this quick.” No, he said, “Jesus, if that’s you, tell ME to COME TO YOU on the water.”

And Jesus says, “come on.”

Come on. Jesus is saying to you today, come on. Don’t sit there in your little boat when the opportunity to walk on water is here. Don’t sit there crying in your fear. Come on. Take courage!

But he’s not going to do it for you. You’ve got to take that next step. You’ve got to trust him enough to leave what is familiar and dare to go into the unknown. The Message translation then says, “Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus.”

When Jesus says come, girl you better jump. Jump. He has shown up in the middle of your mess here today. He may not look like you imagined he would look or work in the way you imagined he would work, but here he is saying, “take courage, don’t be afraid.” Now he’s expecting you to come. It’s time for you to take action. Come on.

This may seem impossible. That’s okay. In fact it’s more than okay. Impossible is God’s specialty. Impossible is where God loves to show up and show off.

God is saying come on. Let’s go. This is your invitation to the impossible. We’ll do this together. And this journey will change everything.

He sees you. He’s coming for you. He’s asking you to come. Now take courage and experience the impossible with him!