A devotional by Mirachelle Canada
But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
—Matthew 14:27-29 (NIV)
The apostle Paul describes the vastness of God’s love for us in Ephesians 3:18 as deep and wide – much like a great chasm.
To cross such a chasm often takes a great leap of faith, and sometimes God will ask us to take that leap blindly. Unless one has a dare devil personality, most won’t line up to take this kind of leap. Leaping blindly, much like skydiving, could mean risking everything, and even result in death. Not necessarily a physical death but the death of a dream, desire, or personal goal.
Leaping blindly when God asks requires trust as well as obedience. Note that God will ask you to leap, not tell you. It will always be a choice. Most people are willing to make such a choice when they think it will lead to what they want or give them something they can physically obtain as a result. Runners will run a marathon for a medal, and even run their strongest when they can see the finish line. An artist will spend hours brushing and dabbing colors onto a blank canvas to produce a masterpiece commissioned to hang in a museum.
Rewards for our actions are wonderful and fulfilling. But, leaping in faith does not guarantee reward or success, only that God will be with you wherever you land.
One such leap is when God asks you to quit your stable job and give up your current salary to trust Him for something better. It doesn’t feel good, and it doesn’t make sense because professional advice tells us to “never quit a job before you have another lined up.”
Another leap is when God asks you to break an engagement or serious relationship. Too many chose not to trust God’s leading to walk away because they are scared to lose what they think is love. Yet, it is never in God’s plan to harm you, but to give you a future and hope (Jeremiah 29:11). Trusting God when we leap is a great act of our faith and hope in Him.
We should choose to leap blindly for God when He asks because He is great and mighty and just. The Bible provides hundreds of examples to support these attributes. One that we can glean from is the moment in Matthew 14:27-29 where Jesus calls to Peter to “take courage” and commands him to “Come”. It was a call for Peter to take an unnatural leap of faith out of a boat that results in the miracle of walking on water with God.
Is God asking you to take a leap of faith today? Could your leap lead to the miraculous too? Perhaps it will. It could also lead to greater hope, greater peace, greater faith and trust, and a deeper, more abiding love with God. You’ll never know unless you take the leap!
Let’s Pray: Dear God, show me where I need to take a leap of faith with you today in my work, home, relationships or friendships, ministry, or personal walk with you. Give me the courage to choose to leap with you into the unknown and have the faith that with you all things are made possible. Let my actions be a true testament to others of my faith and trust in you. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.
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Note from Alexis: Mirachelle’s devotional message reminds me of the song “Walk on the Water” by Britt Nicole. Listen to it here.
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Author Bio:
Mirachelle Canada is a writer, playwright, screenwriter, and theatre director/producer from Northern Virginia, where she teaches television production at her high school alma mater.
She earned her Master of Fine Arts in Script & Screenwriting from Regent University and is an alumnus of Act One: Hollywood Film & Television Writing Program.
Mirachelle is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, American Fiction Writers Virginia Chapter, The Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, and Your Novel Blueprint.
She is currently working on her first historical fiction novel set during WWII.
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Connect with Mirachelle:
Website: www.mirachellecanada.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mirachellecanada/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/miracan
Mirachelle, I really enjoyed your devotional. The part "leaping in faith does not guarantee reward or success, only that God will be with you wherever you land." jumped out. The assurance that God is with us wherever we land is gold. Thank you
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