The Book Notes--Water-Walking

This is the first in a series of posts from my notes from reading John Ortberg's book, If You Want To Walk On Water, You've Got To Get Out Of The Boat. Mostly these posts are for my benefit as they are a combination of Ortberg's thoughts and my own as I try to process the ideas. However, I would love to hear any other insights that you would like to share, so please feel free to jump in with comments.

Where is God asking you to step out of the boat? What's your boat? What is keeping you from stepping out on the water right now? That's the pervading questions in John Ortberg's book, If You Want To Walk On the Water... and something I'm now thinking about. I kept wondering as I read if the message of this book was for me, right now. Ortberg uses the various aspects of the story of Peter walking on the water to make some points about our lives as followers of Jesus. You can read the passage by clicking here: Matthew 14: 22-32

Ortberg made one observation about the beginning of this passage that really jumped out at me. Jesus told the disciples to get in the boat knowing they would face the storm. "Obedience is no guarantee of being spared adversity." That statement really jumped out at me--maybe because of what's gone on with me over the past year. I've found myself looking around and asking God, "What happened?" Things were going so well. The year preceding the inner ear virus was one of my best. I'd taken a step I felt God wanted me to take, and things really seemed to be on the right track. It was like the storm clouds rolled back and I saw the sun for the first time in a long time. I can remember driving down the road and marveling at how grand things were. And so, my initial, and very human, response was to wonder why, if I was doing the right thing, was I now having to face this.

"Obedience is no guarantee of being spared adversity."

The disciples got in the boat because Jesus told them to do so, yet they faced the storm. Joseph, one of my favorite people in the Bible, was thrown in prison despite the fact that he did the right thing by saying no to Pharoah's wife. Job, though described as blameless and upright, suffered greatly. Jesus obedience led Him straight to the cross. It bears repeating: "Obedience is no guarantee of being spared adversity." But Paul, who endured his share of hardships, assures us with these words in Romans 8: 28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

So I keep praying, believing, and putting one foot in front of the other.