As Tempting as it is to turn away, don't

​One of the more famous bible stories is the story of Jesus walking on water. And his disciple Peter challenging Jesus in that moment - if it's you, Jesus, call me to you - call me to walk on water as well.

Jesus did. He called Peter. And Peter walked on water. Until he didn't.

The bible says:

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.

In his message last week, Steven Furtick pointed out something I'd never picked up on when reading that story. Peter was almost there. He was close enough for Jesus to simply reach out and grab his hand.

And yet, he stopped believing. He stopped going forward. He sank. Until Jesus pulled him out.

You know, there have been a lot of days lately when I feel like I'm walking on water. I feel like I am oh so close. But I stop. And I cry out, save me.

I'm grateful that I keep getting saved, but I'm well beyond anxious to quit stopping. To quit doubting. To quit turning away when I'm so close to being where God is bringing me.

Because I am close. I can feel the hand that keeps pulling me out of the water strong enough to imagine what it feels like to hold that hand walking along the water.

But it's easy, isn't it? In the storms to feel like I've got this, until that lightning bolt or that clap of thunder sends you back to questioning things God long ago answered. Things he never tires of reminding us, yet all the while longing for us to experience life beyond the reminders.

Beyond the saving.

Because even though Jesus never tires of saving us, he so wants us to once and for all fully experience life on the other side of saved.

And not for him, but for us. Not so he never has to see us sink again, but so he can see us walk on water the way he's spent our entire lives calling us to walk.

It's tempting to turn away. But I'm almost there. And so are you.

Almost to where God is bringing us.

Through this article I'm reminding me by reminding you. Let's not look away now.