Dare to Believe. Dare to Ask. Dare to Walk on the Water

Life at Inle Lake by Pakorn on Freedigitalphotos.net

"Dare to believe. Dare to ask.  Dare to walk on the water."

Those words stuck to me.  It was what the Pastor kept repeating during his hour and a half sermon a week and a day ago.  And until now, it resonates in me.  

I'm most sure most of us know this story, when Peter walked on the water with Jesus.  

Matthew 14:28-29 (ESV)

28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.

In these few words, it's like they were just having an ordinary conversation between friends.  One was asking for proof, and the other just simply said do it.  But you and I know there's more to this than just simply stepping out of the boat and having a leisurely walk on the water.  Would you do that? Step off the boat and simply walk?  

For someone like me who's really afraid of drowning in the water, I dare not do that when my feet cannot touch anything solid.  And that's hardly walking ON the water...that's wading and sloshing around.  It's hardly something awe-inspiring right?  Practically anybody could do that!

What does it take to do the impossible?

For Peter to walk on the water, even for just a few brief moments, he had to be holding on to something.

He dared to BELIEVE

One has to have faith.  One has to believe in God and in what He is capable of.  Without faith, even something as small as a mustard seed, there is no point in doing the next step.

He dared to ASK

Why would Peter even ask that in the first place?  The pastor said Peter could have just asked Jesus some trivial questions just to prove that He is really Jesus...like asking what He did before they sailed out or asking what they last ate together (Jesus just fed 5,000 people before they sailed out to sea).  But no, Peter asked for proof, the kind of proof that is undeniable and one that involves him in some way.

Is it because he was just simply being Peter the impulsive?  Maybe.  Only Peter would really know what compelled him to ask the impossible.  That would be something I'd like to ask him when I meet him someday, where he got the guts. I could only infer that he has the kind of faith in Jesus that knows he could ask even the impossible.

Why did Peter have to ask Jesus to command him?  Only a person in authority could command him and compel him to step off the boat.  

Peter WALKED on the WATER

Yes he did!  What an exhilarating experience! And in fact, who else in man's entire history could claim that?  Ice does not count okay?  And sure, Peter started sinking after some time, but hey, walking on the water even for just a few brief moments? You got to admit, he has something to gloat about but he didn't.  He knew in his heart that he could never do that without Jesus enabling him.  And with his act of faith, Peter was able to display the power of God working in him.  Because of that miraculous walk on the water, the others finally saw a clearer vision of who Jesus really is, His authority and His power (not the ghost that they thought He was when they first saw him walking on the water).

Peter dared to believe.  He dared to ask.  And so he walked on the water.  

How about you?  Do you believe God can do the impossible in your life?  Will you step off the boat of comfort and safety to walk on the water and experience God's power in your life?

Dare... and you will have the experience that can never be forgotten by you and all those who witness your life.