Get Out of the Boat

Nervously climbing off the roof and over the side of the 28-story building, I was not ignorant to how insane this adventure might appear to the average person. Strapped to my hips was a harness connected to a rope being held by a single person still on the roof of the building. Coaching me to keep my eyes on him as I climbed over, he guided me to keep my eyes forward as I made my way down the side of the building much akin to Spider Man. One of the scariest yet most amazing experiences of my life, my desire to take part in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity far outweighed my fear of actually doing it.

Much like Peter in the Gospel accounts of his brief walk on water, I was willing to crawl over the side of that building because I trusted the person who had invited me into this cool adventure and who was holding onto my rope. I followed his instructions and kept my eyes fixed on him as I went over. And as a result, I experienced the extraordinary.

Peter, too, experienced the extraordinary and the miraculous, because he trusted the One Who called him out of the boat. Peter’s faith enabled him to crawl over the side of the boat and onto the waves against everything that likely seemed natural or sensible. But because he did, he shared an encounter with Jesus that was personal, prodigious, and powerful.

What unusual adventure is God calling you to? Do you feel God leading you down a path that seems downright ridiculous? Friends, if we want to experience the miraculous, we must trust Him and be willing to get out of the boat.