Moorings of Our Journey

By Alice Smith

"Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, launch out into the deep, and
let down your nets for a draught" (Lk. 5:4, KJV).

Many of us prefer to keep our boats safely tied to the pier rather than launch out
into the deep with Christ. To be sure, when a boat is tied to the pier it is sheltered
within the harbor; the wind is calm and the water is smooth. But boats are designed
for sailing, not docking. The real boating adventure begins out in the open sea with
the wind and the salty ocean spray in your face.

The same is true of your spiritual journey with the Lord. If, like most people, you are
content to stay in port, tied to the dock, then you will have limited opportunity to
know Him better. However, if you intend to discover who He truly is and your destiny
in Him, then cast off your moorings by faith and launch out into the deep with Him.
If you will forsake your fears and risk a deeper intimacy with Jesus, then you will
learn more about Him and in the vast ocean of His Spirit you will find the very desire
of your heart.

Simon Peter was so anxious to experience the supernatural power of Christ that
when he and the other disciples who were in a boat, saw Jesus walking toward them
on water tossed by waves from a contrary wind, he asked:
"Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And
when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus"
(Matt. 14:2829, KJV).

But something happened to Peter in the process. The text tells us:
"But when he [Peter] saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink,
he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and
caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"
(Matt 14:3031, KJV).

Facing life's trials is a lot like launching out into the deep or stepping out of the boat.
When we've finally risked enough to step out and then find ourselves confronted with
overwhelming odds, we immediately cry out for Jesus to deliver us. But the Lord is
saying, "I want to do more than deliver you. I want to develop you."

Even in the test that Satan prepared for Peter we can see how Jesus was trying to
develop Peter's character. "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath
desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee"
(Luke 22:3132, KJV). Surely Peter must have been shocked to hear of Satan's plan
to sift him; but I'm sure he was relieved that Jesus had prayed for him. By now
Simon Peter knew that the Father always heard and answered Jesus' prayers.

What could Peter have possibly thought when he discovered that Jesus had not
prayed for the relief of sifting? Rather, Jesus said, "I have prayed for thee, that thy
faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (Luke 22:32,
KJV). Jesus prayed only that Simon Peter's faith would stand the test and that the
test would strengthen him.

You, too, will be tested. The wind and the waves of the open sea are designed to test
your commitment to the Lord. He wants you to have more than a shallow experience
with Him; He wants you to know His depths. A deep relationship with God requires
deep testing, and deep testing requires deep faith. The Lord designs and tailors our
testing so that we might earn the right of passage to walk with Him at deeper levels.

The psalmist said, "O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in
distress" (Ps. 4:1, KJV). If the Lord harbored you at the same, safe place all your
life, you would never grow. Periodically He calls you to launch out into the deep, to
step out of the boat and face life's storms with Him. If you refuse to trust Jesus and
risk the journey, then you will never know the joy of deep intimacy with Him. In this
untested condition you may remain unfit for service and possibly never reach your
destiny.

Yet, if you will step out of the boat and test the water, you will learn who God is and
who you are, and your faith will grow under the pressure. These experiences will
develop a Christ-like sensitivity and sympathy for others who are facing life's
hardships. You know what they are going through, for you have been there, too.