One of my favorite worship song out called Oceans by Bethel Music that I listen to quite often. There is an anointing on the entire song, but the bridge in particular is my favorite. The lyrics of the bridge speak to me deeply every time I listen to or sing them:
“Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders,
Let me walk upon the waters, wherever you may call me.
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander,
And my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Savior.”
I desire to have a deep faith and trust in God, that wherever He leads I will go, and whenever He asks me to do something, my response is yes. That my heart would trust Him and listen to His requests because I would know they were for my good.
Unfortunately, this kind of trust isn’t always my response. This trust is often met with fear or uncertainty. The things my mind know to be true about God – the things I’ve read and studied in the Word, the facts I’ve gained from Sunday school teachings, messages in youth group and sermons as an adult have given me the knowledge about who this God is. Yet over the years, life experiences sometimes seem to contradict the facts, and my heart doubts.
I see good people suffer. People who love God with all their hearts, who’ve served Him passionately experience pain and misfortune. They fight diseases and have unanswered prayers. They battle fear and sickness and I don’t understand.
I see others miraculously touched or saved, and my finite mind can’t make the calculations. I know it isn’t about having enough faith or being good enough or any equation that I can come up with, but my heart often doesn’t get it. I “get” that it’s all about God’s sovereignty, purpose and plan. I “know” His ways are higher and beyond mine and above my thinking. I know God is good, yet I struggle to find the answers to these mysteries. My heart wants to know.
Whenever I sing this song, I imagine the story of the apostle Peter being called out of the boat by Jesus to literally walk on the water. I picture Him looking right at Jesus’ face and reaching out his hands towards where Jesus is standing. He knows Jesus is who he says he is. I see Jesus standing there holding out his hands towards Peter and smiling, assuring Peter that he can do it. Then I imagine the winds starting to blow, and the storm starting to brew again, maybe lightning flashes in the sky distracting Peter from Jesus’ gaze. He suddenly looks down at the waves to see the water swelling around him and fear grips his heart as he begins to sink.
Terrified, he calls out to Jesus for help and Jesus reaches out to catch him. Jesus then looks into his eyes saddened by his lack of faith and asking him why he doubted.
Now I’m sure had I been in the same story, I too would’ve looked at the circumstances around me and waivered in my faith…
What about you? How would you have responded to Jesus’ invitation to come and walk on the water with Him?
Often the Lord makes these incredible invitations to us but fear gets in our way. It may not be a literal walk on the water, but to do something extraordinary or beyond our own abilities. It’s in these times we must decide whether we are going to take a risk, get out of the boat and trust His call, or stay where we are, where it feels safer. We often forget that doing what He invites us to do, is the safest place we can be. He invites us to come and do it with Him.
With Him is the absolute safest place to be – whether it’s on the water, in Africa, or our own neighborhood. With Him is where we want to be.
So, as the Lord is inviting me to Trust without Borders, I also invite you to explore things the Lord is inviting you into. If He’s inviting you into it, then He will give you the grace and strength and ability to do it with Him. Allow your trust in Him to grow as you take a risk, step out of the boat, and walk into all that He has called you to do!
Pam Lozano is the Founder and President of Pure Design Ministries and Magazine. She is a conscientious leader who believes in investing in and mentoring the next generation to raise them up to be who God has designed them to be.
