When we step out, God steps in

Here’s an obvious but important point. Jesus did not help Peter to clamber out of the boat. He did that himself.

We need to understand this. While a miracle always comes from God, it is usually up to us to take the initiative. You will find this is the case with almost every miracle recorded in the Bible. They nearly always begin with a human being taking a step of faith.

Many times we miss out on a miracle simply because we don’t step out in faith.

Faith means taking a risk. Being willing to do something ourselves and putting ourselves in a position where God can do something extraordinary.

Today, tomorrow, this year and during the years that follow, wonderful opportunities will confront you. You will need to keep on stepping out in faith all the time. Just as Peter climbed out on to the wild waves and found to his astonishment, that the water was so hard he could walk on it, so we often step into areas of uncertainty and even impossibility and discover to our delight that the uncertain becomes certain and the impossible becomes possible. When we step out in faith, God steps in with power.

We need to have this kind of expectancy that as we take these faith steps; God will honour that. God calls us and we obey by faith. Then like Peter, we can tread on the very thing we previously feared.

Do you want to see the sick cured? Start praying for them. What if we pray and they don’t recover? Well, if we don’t pray for them, they will certainly not recover. At least when we step out, there’s the possibility.

The same applies to other gifts. You may have been asking God for better witnessing skills or for spiritual eloquence (1 Corinthians 14:14-15) and you are waiting for it to happen. Step out! Open your mouth! Say something! Give the Holy Spirit something to work with. Remember, when we step out in faith, God steps in with power.

What next?

What sense of calling do you have in your life? What hopes and dreams do you have for the future? You may feel called to be a missionary or to undertake a course of study or to set up a new charity. You can prepare for those now by taking preliminary steps. Don’t just sit back and wait. Learn a language, start a degree course, give more to the needy than you can afford. Make a beginning somewhere, somehow, and see what God can do. Every journey starts with one step. When we step out in faith, God steps in with power.