Experiencing God means stepping out and going beyond the safe and predictable.

‘“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.’ (Matthew 14:28-29)

I was flying home from Tokyo, Japan some time ago, when my flight was delayed. We watched and waited for several hours until the airline told us the plane was experiencing a mechanical failure and would be replaced. I remember sitting in the lounge waiting and thinking about the risks involved in flying an airplane. The safest place for an airplane to be is on the ground, parked safely and doing nothing. That’s also the most useless place for it – airplanes were made to fly.

In a similar way, we are intended to live lives that involve risk – not reckless risk of our own making, but the risk that comes with obeying and trusting the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter might have stayed in the boat which, despite the storm, was a lot safer than stepping onto the water. We might prefer the security of reducing our risks to almost zero. Canada is one of the highest insured nations in the world; we want to avoid risk and can be bland and dull because of it. We were designed to live in a way in which we deny ourselves, take up the cross of obedience, step out in faith and let Christ take care of the consequences. Peter took a risk by stepping off his boat, to either sink or walk on the water as Christ enabled him.

We are safest on the runway, but we were designed to fly – take the risk of adventurously living by faith in God.

Bible in one year: Daniel 5-6 | 1 John 4