23.Oct.2007 Walking on Water – Having Faith in the Face of Obstacles

Luke 8:22-25 – Where is your faith?

The disciples were not new fisherman. They had been in storms before and had been in the boat with Jesus before. But this time they knew they were in REAL danger. Sometimes we are in REAL danger- our marriage is failing, we are on the brink of loosing our house, etc. In these situations, we come to God because we are afraid. But we have to keep our faith. I would never want God to come to me in a situation and ask me “Where is your faith?”

One day God is going to come to you and ask you to deal with a problem. You have to have faith that He is going to get you to the other side. Jesus is always speaking. In every situation, He is teaching us and He giving us answers. Jesus gets into the boat with you. He doesn’t just tell you what to do; He goes with you. Even in the middle of the storm when you can’t hear Him and you think He has left you, He hasn’t. He did not design us to do things alone.

You have to remember what He says to you when things are calm and the sky is still blue. He tells you that He will get you to the other side. We have to remember these things and walk in our faith when he allows us to steer ourselves. The best leaders allow you to learn by doing it as well as teach you. Remember that we can’t control everything, sometimes storms just come. When things are going well, we can miss what God is telling us and, when the storm comes, we can’t remember what He said.

The boat and the journey are issues in your life. The lake is the obstacle that stops you from getting to where God wants you. It takes faith to walk on water – overcome the obstacles – and get to the destination God has for us.Once Jesus starts you on a journey He is not going to get out of the boat.

The other side is a miracle. On the other side is an assignment for you. When you go through the storm you come out with a testimony – your test is destined to be a testimony. There are people on the other side who are facing the same trials and challenges. They need to be encouraged by your testimony, and hear how your faith brought you through it. If you haven’t gone through trials, you can’t relate to others. You cannot reach the lost without empathy for where they are coming from. Sometimes people who are going through a crisis – a storm – can not understand God. If you are there with a testimony, they get hope of making it through too. If you are not willing to get in the boat, you will not have that testimony. The other side is a victory for you and somebody else.