License to walk on water

Sometime ago Sapphire was concerned about being able to achieve certain thing (akin to Walking on Water) and was not sure how others will perceive or receive her work and/or achievements. During this conversation, we got inspired (by the story in Matthew 14:25-32) about how God can give us “license to walk on water” and what we do or should do with it.
Here are some of the points we noted:

1. When God gives you a license to walk on water, His Word is sufficient. You must hear Him. Hearing Him is the thin line between faith and foolishness. Why didn't Peter hop into the sea at the sight of Jesus walking on water? This is not a story about risk-taking...it is a story about hearing and obeying.
2. God gives the license to walk on water (WoW) to those who seek it... the other disciples in the boat did not ask to walk on water and it was not given to them. Peter asked and he was given. The license to WOW is a response to our desire to know Him more, to understand Him better, to follow Him closely and to be more like Him.
3. When God gives you the license to WOW, He does not need the permission or views of people around you...and you should not dwell on it either. Do not look to others for the permission to utilize your license to WoW…just do it. If Peter had waited for the consent of the others, he would never have attempted to WoW – and never made history either.
4. The license bestows on you the power and authority of the Issuer. Therefore, using the license requires trust and confidence in the issuing authority. “Trust and obey, for there is no other way…”
5. When God gives you the license to WOW, He may not still the storm, because He wants you to still the storm within you. If He stills the storm around you all the time, you may never get an opportunity to still your personal storms within. Remember the definition of peace? In this context: “Peace is not the absence of storms, but the presence of God in the midst of the storms.”
6. When God gives you the license to WOW, you must leave the boat - some of us have heard the call and received the license but we are still sitting in the boat. The license requires that you leave your comfort zone. Every time you leave your comfort zone, you expand your sphere of influence. The boat for Peter, must have been the only semblance of sanity, safety and security at that point. (Your boat is whatever you are tempted to put your trust in or hold on to especially when there is a shaking. What is your boat? Ask yourself: "What is it that produces fear in me especially when I think of leaving it behind and stepping out in faith?”).
   
7. When God gives you the license to WOW, the direction of your walk will determine how far you will go. Peter could only do the extraordinary because he headed in the direction of the Master.
8. When God gives you the license to WoW, it is part of the plan to make you great. Take it and use it - promptly! Peter didn’t dilly-dally or delay – he acted promptly
9. When God gives you the license to WOW, His presence remains with you. He is always present. Peter was not the only one walking the waves, Jesus was doing that which He called on Peter to do. The Lord will not require of you that which you cannot do and which He cannot do. There is always an assurance - to Gideon the angel said: “The Lord is with you, Mighty Man of Valor;” to a stuttering Moses, God promises "I will help you speak and teach you what to say". Likewise, God promises to be with us – until the end of the age.
10. When God gives you the license to WOW, His power is made manifest. His power controls everything, both animate and inanimate. Both living and non-living thing. His power over every element of water under Peter's feet caused them to solidify.... Every step counted. Just like the Israelites walking through the Red Sea, every step counted and took them closer to their Promised Land.
11. With the license to WOW, you must be sensitive to “gradual sinking” motion. It may not always be immediate and impactful. Peter's was gradual..."he began to sink" not "he sank". The saved (and sanctified) can begin to slide backwards or downwards without a conscious realization of what is happening. Sometimes, pride creeps in. We must be alert and watchful. Take heed…
12. When God gives you the license to WOW, there is no absolute guarantee that it will be smooth sailing and hitch free, but there is an absolute guarantee that He will see you through. Peter walked on water, started to sink, The Lord caught him, he must have walked until he reached the boat again. Those who say “Yes” to God do not walk perfectly, but as long as they stick with God, they become part of history.
13. The license to walk on water requires that you face your deepest fears. It may be a fear of inadequacy like Moses, it may be a fear of failure like the spies sent out to the Promised Land. In the case of Peter, as a fisher man, he knew the behavior of the sea and the dangers associated with it, but he had to get out of the boat and face his fears.

To use the license, we must confront the things that confront us and conquer them.

God has a knack for asking ordinary people to perform extraordinary acts and He is constantly giving license but sometimes:

• We do not hear Him or know how to
• We do not obey i.e. we refuse to get out of the boat
• We look to others for the permission to utilize our license
• We look to the storm (unfortunately, whatever engages us becomes magnified)
• Sin invalidates our license
• Doubt and unbelief dilutes the efficacy of our license

Sometimes we may need to renew our license…Peter also needed to renew his license, so he cried out to Jesus.  Receive and use your license to walk on water – it is a licence to also “WoW” the world.