Water Walking

With open ears she heard the voice whispering her name, beckoning her to come out of the boat .  She wasn’t scared, she was intrigued and filled with sweetest of peace.  His voice compelled her forward, the essence of Him wrapped around her, it was familiar and she was filled with a need to draw closer.  Her heart hungered with the need to draw closer to Him.  At this point nothing else mattered except Him. 

She barely heard the background voices of her family and colleagues telling her to get back into the boat.  That she was crazy and stupid and needed to get back into the boat.  They mocked her and laughed at her and critiqued her.  They called her faith ridiculous, “be logical” they said and yelled after her that she had “blind faith” and that she was small minded and was going to drown, stepping out in the middle of the water.  They scoffed her and mocked her and laughed and gossiped to each other about what a fool she was.

Their words were meant to wound and make her turn around, but her desire to get closer to the One who called her was stronger than her need for their acceptance and approval.  There were a couple of times when she faltered, when she let their curse words and insults affect her and her feet would begin to sink below the surface of the water and fear would try to usher in, but every time she would begin to lose focus, His voice would overcome their words and she continued to move forward coaxing her to come forward, to continue trusting in Him alone. She belonged to Him the need to be closer to Him outweighed the need for their approval.

“I hear You Lord, I’m coming.”

The enemy churned up the water in an effort to make her lose focus and stumble.  The accuser did what he does best – filled the waves with accusations that tried to keep her from focus on His voice.  “You aren’t strong enough.  You aren’t smart enough. You don’t have what it takes.  You are alone heading nowhere and you are going to fail, just like you have failed in the past.”

Eyes focused forward she continued, with the help of the Holy Spirit she road out those waves by taking every thought captive that would try and draw her down into the depths of dark waters. 

“My faith is in He that is calling my name, who’s voice I know and NOT in myself.  He is an ever present help in time of trouble.  As long as He calls my name I will continue to put my faith and trust in Him. My God is with me. Goes before me. Where He calls me, I will go.” 

She walked as one who had a purpose and her feet walked firmly above the water, towards the One who was calling her name.  “It is true, I cannot do ANYTHING without Him.  Not by power, not by might but by His Spirit I WILL continue to step forward wherever He leads me and calls my name.” Her feet rose upon the waters of situations.  “For He alone is my safe place.  His wrap around presence always protects me as my champion defender.  There’s no risk of failure with God!  So why would I let worry paralyze me, even when troubles multiply around me?” 

That is when she noticed that her hand had always been tucked within the safety of His.  That His voice was not only before her, but within her, around her and next to her as well.  He had always been RIGHT THERE with her.  She had never been alone. 

“My precious child, although there are times when you have allowed life’s circumstances to drown out the sound of my voice.  I have been right here with you.  I promised You I would NEVER leave NOR forsake you – just as I was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace (see Daniel 3:8-25)  I have been with you patiently waiting for you to realize that there is NOTHING you go through in life that I am not aware of, not part of – YOU ARE MINE.  Times when you felt you were sinking below the surface of your faith but I have been there ALL ALONG.  There is nothing that goes on within your life that I am not aware or in control of.  Your life is hidden in mine.  You belong to me.  When your eyes have focused on the troubled waters and not on the One who sustains you I have allowed it to occur because I know it strengthens your legs to walk upon the deeper waters I plan on having you venture out into.  But through it ALL I am with you.  I AM.  Feel your hand in mine and go forward in ALL I am calling you to do. For I am WITH YOU.  Do not pay mind to the accuser for his goal is to keep you from ALL I have for you, to make you doubt me as he did Eve and Adam in the garden of Eden.  Have I given you cause to doubt my Word? To doubt my promises? Shake the dust off your feet from all of those who try to cause your head to turn from what you know is my truth.  You know my voice, abide in me and I in you. (John 15:4) Continue stepping out in faith and see what I will do.  Don’t doubt, just believe and see all I will do.”

Sometimes during our walk with Him we allow other voices to overshadow His.  When we allow this to occur we allow fear, anxiety, depression, sadness, doubt and many other things enter into our head and block out the voice of God.  During times like this we need to SHAKE THEM OFF and cling to the Word of God – Holy Spirit will bring to mind verses that we need to meditate on to strengthen feeble spiritual legs.  God has given us His Word for times such as this, we need to read it, study it and allow it to fill our hearts so that when “troubled waters” try to draw us under we draw out our “buoy” of promises that God has given us to sustain us and strengthen us to go forward.  He REALLY IS an ever present help in time of trouble, we ONLY need to trust in HIM.

“Father, thank You for never leaving or forsaking me.  Thank You for Your Mercy, Your Love, Your forgiveness, Your love.  You love me even at my most unlovable moments.  Please forgive me for the times when I have allowed the accuser to turn my head and doubt you. When I have chosen to listen to voices that cause me to be fearful, angry, resentful, discouraged and allowed them to resound more powerfully than Yours.  I love You so much Father.  Please speak clarity into my mind and heart and help me to further grasp ALL You are and ALL You want to do within me.  Help me rise above the waters of anything that would try to pull me down into the depths of anything that would try to keep me from hearing Your voice and walking in the way You’d have me go.  Bless me this day Father, in Your presence is where I long to be and remain.  Guide me by Your Spirit.  Thank You Father. In Jesus’ precious name I pray. AMEN.”