Page 9 - Of Course You Can Walk On Water - eBook
P. 9

whom you are persecuting; but rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are
        to do'" (Acts 9:3-6). Not much information for such a startling experience.


        In each of these cases Jesus left it with the individual involved to exercise faith in Him
        and to do His bidding.


        As we think about it, it becomes apparent that Jesus demanded great faith of His
        followers, typified by that required of Peter when He called the disciple to do an
        impossible act that had no precedent, except that of Jesus Himself.


        And, on the surface, the Lord did not make any great effort to ease the way for His
        followers. As we have seen, He gave Peter no verbal assurance that he would be able to

        walk on water. He gave Abraham no guarantee that he would not have to take Isaac's life.
        He gave Peter and Andrew and Matthew no warranty of an adequate income. And we
        recall that on one occasion He deliberately made such seemingly impossible demands of
        faith-to be manifested in total commitment-upon a gathering of His would-be followers
        that most of them left Him (John 6:35-68).


        The command is no less explicit today than then. We do not hear Christ's voice ring
        audibly in our ear. But it does speak through His Word. It does sound in our souls through
        conscience, that authoritative but still small voice. And we-as did Abraham, and Peter and
        Andrew, and Matthew, and the paralytic, and Paul-must obey and step from the boat and

        walk on water.


        "Jack, take that profession, that hobby, that practice that you love, and offer it as an
        offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."


        And as He walked down a street He saw Larry and Aileen, his wife, looking over a new
        piece of real estate they were interested in. And He said, "Leave all that you have. Follow
        Me."


        As Jesus passed on from there He saw ... you? me? And He said, "Follow Me!"


        Faith, commitment, obedience. That is what the Lord requires.


        Faith and commitment, or surrender, are, in effect, the same thing. Faith is such a total
        trust in Jesus that you entrust everything to Him-and that is surrender. So if you have faith
        you will surrender, and if you are surrendered you will have faith. It may need to develop,
        but you will have faith.


        The next step follows naturally. To claim to be surrendered without yielding obedience is


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