Jesus said to Peter, Do you love me? John 21:15

Have you ever been amazed by the zealous determination of a childs mind? If you were to ask any child what they aspire to be when they grow up, you would get an assortment of bold answers, A race car driver! A fireman! A beauty queen! For a child there are no limits, no risks. They are determined to reach their dreams. In their minds, risk is no concept. We are presented with a multitude of challenges throughout our lives, but rarely do those tests ever come without a host of mistakes, even failures. Over time, as the failures pile up we begin to doubt ourselves. We may even doubt God. Doubt leads to a lack of motivation; a lack of motivation leads to a lack of focus-and eventually we forget altogether the goal we originally set. Sound familiar? There comes a point when its more difficult to see beyond the present moment and into the promised future. I am reminded of a story long ago when in an effort to survive, Peter, along with the other disciples, vigorously worked to keep from becoming victim to the violent seas surrounding them. In an instant, the fear that gripped their hearts was exchanged with an absolute wonder as their gaze was directed toward Jesus calmly walking on the very water that threatened their lives. Disregarding the storm, the waves, and the fear that surrounded him, Peter, in an enthusiastic quest, fixed his eyes on Jesus, jumped out of the boat and walked toward Him. However, as quickly as his zeal got him out of the boat, Peters fear shifted his focus away from Jesus and onto the circumstances surrounding him. Peters overcoming fear is recorded in Matthew 14:30, But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, Lord save me! Peter stepped out and took a risk. Ultimately, his fear led to his failure, yet in the midst of it all, he experienced the miracle of faith as he saw his need and cried out to the Lord for help and immediately the Lord saved him. Has the fear of failure gripped your life? Is the risk too much? I encourage you to cry out to the Lord for help in the midst of your fear and step out in faith. Just as He did for Peter, Jesus promises to stretch out His arm and rescue you. Be a risk-taker for Jesus today.

Prayer

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. - T.S. Eliot

• Bible Readings for the Week Ahead:
• Monday: Luke 22:54-62
• Tuesday: Judges 16:28-30
• Wednesday: Jude 7
• Thursday: Psalm 37:23, 24
• Friday: Romans 1:16
• Saturday: Ezekiel 8:17
• Sunday: Psalm 91:1-13