The wind really was boisterous and the waves really were high, but Peter didn’t see them at first. He didn’t consider them at all; he simply recognized his Lord, stepped out in recognition of Him, and “walked on the water.” Then he began to take those things around him into account, and instantly, down he went. Why couldn’t our Lord have enabled him to walk at the bottom of the waves, as well as on top of them? He could have, yet neither could be done without Peter’s continuing recognition of the Lord Jesus.We step right out with recognition of God in some things, then self-consideration enters our lives and down we go. If you are truly recognizing your Lord, you have no business being concerned about how and where He engineers your circumstances. The things surrounding you are real, but when you look at them you are immediately overwhelmed, and even unable to recognize Jesus. Then comes His rebuke, “. . . why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31). Let your actual circumstances be what they may, but keep recognizing Jesus, maintaining complete reliance upon Him.If you debate for even one second when God has spoken, it is all over for you. Never start to say, “Well, I wonder if He really did speak to me?” Be reckless immediately— totally unrestrained and willing to risk everything— by casting your all upon Him. You do not know when His voice will come to you, but whenever the realization of God comes, even in the faintest way imaginable, be determined to recklessly abandon yourself, surrendering everything to Him. It is only through abandonment of yourself and your circumstances that you will recognize Him. You will only recognize His voice more clearly through recklessness— being willing to risk your all._______________________________________________

 

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

June 18, 2014

Lord, I understand the lesson, I truly do; keep my eyes, heart and head focused on You and do not allow my circumstances to dictate my life. With my eyes fixed on You, I can walk on the stormy seas, slay giants, and rise up and fly on the wings of eagles. But Lord, like Peter who was there living with You in the flesh, it is so very hard to keep our eyes focused on You when the waves are crashing all around and the people around us are frightened as well. It is hard to stay focused on a faith and power we cannot see, when we are inundated by the potential disasters we can see.  Lord, how do we stay focused on You in times like that? How can I step out of the boat I’m in in when I see the waves crashing all around me?

And God says…”If you want to live the abundant life, the one I promised you, you must focus on Me, and not your circumstances. When you focus on the circumstances or storms of life, you will only be able to see the waves and turbulent seas.  If you are waiting for your circumstances to change, for the storms to recede, you are relying on your senses to tell you when it is OK to trust in Me. Trust in Me by keeping your eyes on Me even, and especially, when your senses tell you it makes no sense for you to step out of the boat onto the stormy waters.

“When you keep your eyes on Jesus, and not your circumstances, you can and will walk on water, slay the giants and rise up on wings of eagles. But you must choose to be connected to Jesus, and not your circumstances. Your circumstances can and will overwhelm you if you allow them to dictate your response. However, perfect love casts out fear, and Jesus is perfect love.  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and He will make your paths straight. Delight yourself in the Lord and receive the desires of your heart. Seek first the Kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and everything else you need will be provided. You can do this one minute, one hour, one day at a time. And you start just like you have this morning…by coming to Me in the morning and trusting Me to meet all your needs the rest of the day.  Simply remain connected and curious about how I will respond…I know you believe and I am here for you when your human nature succumbs to unbelief. When that occurs, I will reach out as I did with Peter, and lift you up”