Are You on The Shore or in The Waves?

When I was in elementary school, my father lived in Hawaii, so my brother and I would go there to visit him a few times a year on the island of Oahu. It was a fantastic place to visit when you are kid, because there are so many beaches, and places to do fun stuff. We would go to beaches with names like Makaha and Makapuu and a beach that we called the "Gold Mine" because it had so many  shells to find on the beach. 

We loved collecting the beautiful shells. I can't even describe the colors that they were and how spectacular they were. They were amazing. 

Upon my initial visit to Hawaii, I remember that I would spend a lot of time on the beach walking up and down in water that was only up to my knees. It was fun, but it didn't take me long to figure out that when you are walking on the beach, you only get to find the type of shells that get left behind by other people (ones that are small, broken or undesirable). Eventually, I figured out that to find the best shells to collect, you had to get into the waves. Not only did I have to get into the waves, I had to get into the deeper water where I couldn't touch. 

It was out in the deepest water that I found the best shells. 

I was reflecting on that this morning and thinking about faith in God. 

Often times I think that our spiritual lives are somewhat like that also. We want to have the great things of God, but we want to stay on the shore where its safe. Where we can touch the ground and not be encumbered by any un-forseen circumstances that may cause us any harm. We want to be safe. 

Faith is not safe. Faith puts you in circumstances where you have to trust God and believe that He is going to take care of you as you are going through something that is uncomfortable or scary. Typically, the situation is not as terrifying as we think it is, its just that we can't touch the bottom of the ocean floor, so we assume it is going to be too difficult. 

The truth is that more often that not, God has given you the ability to swim, and he will be there with you as you do. 

So what to do? Walk by faith! Do not be a person who constantly stands on the shores of life refusing to go somewhere where you have to actually trust and believe. Instead, be a person who trusts God through all circumstances and endeavors. Believe that even though the situations around you may feel like waves crashing over your head, that through it you will find a "Gold Mine" of resources that will bless you beyond anything that you could imagine. 

But you have to get off the shore. 

Be blessed

pastor matt

Posted via email from Faith and Victory Church Blog