The upper peninsula of Michigan can get pretty cold. Winters bring loads of snow and with it, all sorts of winter sports. People in the UP love ice fishing, and its common to see them pulling their ice fishing shacks out onto the lakes with their pickups. Yes, there are literally roads that people drive out onto the lakes to get to their favorite fishing holes.
Most people know that the ice is plenty thick enough, and venture out with confidence, but others aren’t so sure it will hold up underneath them, so they don’t dare go out there.
One time, I had a carful of buddies and we decided to go for a spin out on the bay in Baraga. One of the guys in the back seat freaked out and said, “No way!” I ignored him and drove out there anyway.
He was so panicked, he managed to force the passenger seat forward, open the door, and bail out onto the ice at 35 mph!
The rest of us laughed pretty hard and enjoyed a tour around all the ice shacks before returning to land and picking him up. You can just imagine the hard time we gave him for his unnecessary fear.
That’s a funny story, but some of you are just like my fearful friend. There are some areas of your life where you are still fearful to venture out in faith in the promises of God, so you bail out and stay safe. Regardless of how many others are out there going for it, you don’t step out and take any risks when it comes to obedience to God.
Brother or sister in Christ, are you sweating it or panicked when it comes to faith in God’s promise? Are you afraid they won’t hold up in your life? I can assure you they are solid all the way through. Your doubts may be real but they just aren’t necessary.
It may be financial, in prayer, in the area of witnessing, or even when it comes to assurance of your salvation. Whatever it is, let knowledge release you today that every promise God has made, he will keep. It is impossible for him to lie. All the promises of God are “Yea and Amen” in Jesus Christ! Let it be said of us that we had the same faith as Abraham, who “staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, being fully persuaded that what God had promised, he was able also to perform.” See Romans 4 for a great picture of faith.
You know, there was a point where even the disciples asked The Lord to increase their faith. If you find yourself struggling today in some area, talk to Him about it. You’ll find that he loves to answer that kind of prayer.
The best way to increase your faith is to take God at his word and learn by experience that he does in fact keep his promises!
What are you waiting for? Go for it!