Jesus is Rocking my Boat

God thinks I am ready to have my boat rocked---okay "thinks" isn't how God works because He "knows"---but Yesterday I realized He was rocking my boat. He is rocking my little world that I so long have clung to. So this morning as I was praying I felt myself questioning God and I said "God, why do you think I am ready to have my boat rocked? I am not ready for it. I was kind of getting comfy in my calm, safe boat. I finally got out of the storm, got back in to the boat and now you are rocking it."

What do I mean by "rocking my boat?" Let's first refer to Matthew 14:24-32(Message):

24-26Meanwhile, the boat was far out to sea when the wind came up against them and they were battered by the waves. At about four o'clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. They were scared out of their wits. "A ghost!" they said, crying out in terror.

27But Jesus was quick to comfort them. "Courage, it's me. Don't be afraid."

28Peter, suddenly bold, said, "Master, if it's really you, call me to come to you on the water."

29-30He said, "Come ahead."

Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, "Master, save me!"

31Jesus didn't hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, "Faint-heart, what got into you?"

32-33The two of them climbed into the boat, and the wind died down. The disciples in the boat, having watched the whole thing, worshiped Jesus, saying, "This is it! You are God's Son for sure!"

In v24 God says "they were battered by the waves". For years I allowed the waves to hit me from all sides keeping me distracted, fearful, on edge, worrying, and confused. V25 says that "Jesus came toward them walking on the water". Jesus came toward me many times. My eyes would see Him, my faith didn't. I stayed in the boat that was being battered by the waves. But recently I realized letting the waves create the storm, was not getting me anywhere. I was stuck in the middle of the ocean, in a boat that was constantly rocking and keeping me from my purpose. Why did I stay in the boat? One of the reasons was that I had let my self drift so far out in to the ocean that no matter which way I looked all I saw was the storms in my life. I identified my self with the storms.

V27-28 Jesus tells the disciples to not be afraid, to have courage because He was there. One day in the midst of the waves crashing upon me, I noticed Jesus had been standing there all along telling me to not be afraid and to have courage because "I am here". Was I blind? Why didn't I see Him there before? He was standing there on the water for so long waiting for me to see him, to hear him, to understand what He meant when he said "I am here".

Peter was bold. He spoke up. He was tired of the storm and wanted to get out of the boat and walk toward Jesus. Jesus said, "Yes, come" (NLT) When I read that verse, I could almost here his compassion and his gentleness..."Yes, come". Peter stepped out of the boat and on to the water. He had faith. He wanted to have faith. He was ready to get out of the boat. He was ready for the waves to stop bashing against him. So he grasped on to his faith and stepped out of the boat. He was "terrified" (NLT), "he lost his nerve" (Message), "afraid" (NIV), and he began to sink. Peter then "shouted" (NLT), "cried out" (Message, NIV)and said "save me". And Jesus' response was "immediate" (NLT), "didn't hesitate" (Message). He reached out his hand to Peter. When Peter got back in to the boat the storm stopped. The other disciples were praising Jesus from what they saw.

Okay...God has been rocking my boat...not with storms anymore, but with His Word. I am standing up in the boat, I am stepping in to the crashing waves, I am heading straight toward Jesus. I see Him. I hear Him. He wants me to be be rocked...to stand up...to step out...to reach out if I get scared while I am learning to stand on the water because of Him.

I am reading a book by Francis Chan called Crazy Love. God is using it to rock my boat...not through a storm, but by His Word...Am I willing to let Him rock my thinking and step out in Faith? Here are some of the questions that Francis Chan has written that have rocked my world and made me think. The point of his book is to make us think outside our boat, let the questions "rock" our way of thinking...
***"Do you believe that wholehearted commitment to Him is more important than any other thing or person in your life?" OOOOH....rock my boat..."Do you know that nothing you do in this life will ever matter, unless it is about loving God and loving the people He has made?" OOOOOH..rock my boat..."Has your relationship with God actually changed the way you live?" OOOOH...rock my boat. and the real rocker for me..."Am I in love with Jesus or just what He can 'offer' me?"

Keep rocking my thinking Jesus...I pray I will be as bold as Peter, even though I am terrified, to allow the rocking of the boat, to make me step out in faith and see Jesus saying "Yes, come". The storms of our life can rock our boat. But I want Jesus to rock my boat with His Word and make me think beyond my little faith so that my faith is stretched even when I am terrified. And when I have this faith, I pray others will see and exclaim to Jesus "you really are the Son of God".

Don't focus on the storm...that keeps you in it...focus on the Word of God and that's where your focus will start to be.

So Jesus...Rock On...
In Love....Teresa