stepping OUT

I've been thinking about something a lot during my quiet moments with the Lord--when the house is quiet and He beckons me to come and be near in the early hours of the morning.  I love those times when we sit together and I pour out my heart and read His Word.

Time is so short.  Fleeting, really.

We get one shot at this life.  Just one.  And then...it's gone.  Just...Like...That.

What matters is what we choose to do with our "one shot."

Do we step OUT and do the things He is calling us to do?



Or, do we stand still?  Right where we are.  Too afraid to take a single step forward.

Or, worse, do we shrink back?

Fear of the unknown has a way of doing that.  It keeps us grounded in the same place.  There is safety in familiarity.

The more I learn about the Bible and the amazing people God used in mighty ways, the more I realize something....

Every single one of them HAD to step OUT to fulfill what God had planned for them.  They physically had to take action and DO something about it.  Staying in the same place, waiting for whatever it was God had told them to do, was not going to just happen without them making a choice to step OUT in obedience.

Moses had to step OUT and lead the Israelites to the water to enable God to show His power and glory by parting the sea.

Ruth had to step OUT and go into the field to glean in order to be noticed by her Boaz--so that the lineage of Jesus could continue.

David, just a lad, had to step OUT and pick up a few tiny little stones to enable God to use him mightily.

Peter had to get OUT of the boat to see the awesomeness of his God.

Ordinary people being used by an extra-ordinary God.  They all had to make a choice.

They all had to step OUT. 

Out of their comfort zones.  Way beyond anything they ever dreamed of. 

They had to step OUT...with their fears. 

With their stuttering.

With their broken hearts due to pain and loss.

With their insecurities. 

With their faith smaller than a mustard seed. 

With their weaknesses. 

With their doubts. 

With their concerns. 

OUT.  No matter what.

Stepping OUT gives God such an amazing opportunity to move--to show His power, His glory, and His faithfulness.  Stepping OUT gives the Almighty Father an opportunity to show us His miracle working power.

Incredible things happen when we step OUT in faith.

My own life has been full of times where I have chosen to stay where things are safe and comfortable.  Times when I have chosen to take the easier of two roads. Moments when I have made the choice to not pick up my stones to fight my giants.  Too many times to count.  Times when God wanted to show His power in my life, and I said, "No thanks, God."

I'm learning.  Slowly but surely.

Step OUT and trust God for the funds ransom for an adoption.

Step OUT and believe for miraculous healing.

Step OUT and do what it takes to heal a broken relationship.

Step OUT and visit the sick, the hungry, the poor, the desperate.

Step OUT and share your heart on orphans, or anything else you're passionate about.

Step OUT and tell someone about Jesus.

Step OUT and follow the still, small voice that speaks to each one of us.

One huge leap of faith opens doors that we never imagined possible.



Don't wait...step OUT!  He is so faithful to meet us on the other side.

Learning as I go.

"But Jesus immediately said to them:  “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said.
Matt 14: 27-29