Leave The Boat

“…He called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9 ESV)

Since the beginning, God remains the grand Initiator. He continuously pursues and invites us into a vibrant relationship with Himself. For instance, we learn about God’s interruption of Abram’s life, when He summoned Abram to leave the Ur Chaldeans (Gen 12). Surely this request unnerved Abram, because sudden change can be scary. Uprooting schedules, leaving the comfort of friends and customs. More than that, it appeared foolish to follow an unseen Being through dangerous territories with only a ‘promise’. However, by faith Abram accepted God’s covenant and surrendered his life to the unknown. He simply believed and obeyed God, not knowing the full plan or end result (Heb 11:8).

With Abraham in mind, we realize the difficulty of understanding God’s methods. Now, may we ponder another shining character in the Bible. Why would Jesus select an unlearned, rugged, erratic, and impulsive fisherman? Yet, after receiving an invitation for discipleship, Peter made a bold confession of Christ’s deity “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matt 16:16). Later, in an hour of crisis, Peter miserably failed Jesus. This act of denial tortured Peter’s heart and he returned to the familiar, his fishing boat. Meanwhile, a new day burst forth when Jesus arose from the tomb and appeared to Peter. Not only did Jesus forgive, but restored and re-commissioned Peter to “Feed My sheep” (John 21:17).

Today, let’s bolster ourselves toward an ‘eternal mindset’, realizing that we’re equipped with divine strength. Like Abraham, and even if we fall like Peter, God will always be there to restore us. Like Abraham and Peter, God enables us to fulfill our purpose once we step out in faith (Phil 2:13).

*Heavenly Father, grant us courage to leave boats of security and place our hope on One who cannot fail.