Take a Risk!

I have never been fond of taking big risks and I'm not entirely sure why this is. Maybe I don't like to get out of my comfort zone, maybe I don't think that it will be worth it in the end. But I think the biggest reason that I avoid risk is because I am worried about getting hurt, worried about failing. Recently though I have been learning that we need to take risks in order to do what God calls us to do. He isn't going to abandon us, he will be there for us through the entire process. This reminded me of the story where Jesus walks on water: Jesus had just finished feeding the 5,000 and had told his disciples to row to the other side of the lake while he sent all the people home. When he had finished doing this he went up on the hillside to pray (Matt 14:22-23). It was about 4:00 in the morning (Between 2-6 A.M)and the ship that the disciple were on was being thrashed around by a storm that had come up. Then the disciples saw Jesus coming out to them, just walking on the waves. In biblical times, the sea was considered "the abyss" and only the bravest people sailed upon it in the first place. The waves would have been equal to death in the disciples eyes and to see Jesus just walking over the top of them, they were convinced that they had seen a ghost and started screaming! "But instantly He spoke to them, saying, Take courage! I AM! Stop being afraid!" (Matt 14:27, AMP) "I AM" was the name that God used to describe himself in the book of Exodus: "And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM and WHAT I AM, and I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE; and He said, You shall say this to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you!" (Exodus 3:14, AMP) By walking on the water Jesus was sending two messages; that he really was God and that he had power of the abyss (death). Then Peter replied to Jesus: "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." Jesus told him to come and so "Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and he came toward Jesus." (Matt 14:29, AMP) Peter had done it, he had taken a big risk! He had gotten out of the boat and stepped onto the abyss because God, who had authority over the abyss was calling him and he was walking toward Christ. But then something happened, "But when he perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened, and as he began to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me [from death]!" Peter saw where he was, he remembered that for all intensive purposes, he was walking on top of the waters of death. He had been looking forward to Christ up until that point in order to get the strength to continue in this impossible task, but then he got distracted by how frightening it was to take a risk like this. He started sinking into the water! His worst fears were happening, the abyss was swallowing him up and so he asked for Christ to save him. "Instantly Jesus reached out His hand and caught and held him, saying to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt? And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat knelt and worshiped Him, saying, Truly You are the Son of God!" (Matt 14:31-33, AMP) Jesus caught Peter when he fell, he picked Peter up when he failed and and saved him from death. We can be confident that he will do the same for us! When God calls us to do something, we need to get out of the boat that is made up of our comfort zone, our "needs" and whatever it is that we put our trust in. We need to get out, take the risk and walk to wherever he leads us. We can be confident that is we take a risk to follow God, he will keep us safe and even if we do start falling (Or failing), we can know that he will always be there to catch us. We can also know that if we follow God's call, it will ALWAYS be worth it! I have probably already shared this verse but it amazing how much it applies to this story and to our lives: "I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:9-10) Don't be afraid to take risks to follow God's call!