* Launch Out!

 

 

We will never know the things that God has in store for us or the things that God has prepared for us until we put our faith squarely in Him and launch out or take that first step of faith.  We can’t even imagine!  The bible says:

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”  1 Corinthians 2:9

This isn’t just the blessings or the material things that come from trusting God, but this is in our spiritual journey with God, we will never know or experience the fullness, the weight or the depth of our purpose in God without a launch of faith.  Despite the severity of our personal situations or the uncertainty of the current situation of the country in which we live or, indeed. the world today, we must stick to the task and the journey at hand.  We launch out as far as God directs us and then we allow Him to take over. 

We have to know with every inch of our being that God is with us.  After reading an account in Ezekiel 47:1-5, I came to this conclusion:  when we’re up to our ankles in water, He’ll bring us through, when we’re up to our knees in the water, He’ll bring us through, when we’re waist high in the water, He’ll bring us through.  In other words, don’t look at the depth of the water, but look to God; He’s our lifeline!

“Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.   Ezekiel 47:1-5

Since God gifted us with His spirit, we ought to do more than have a superficial relationship with Him.   It can't just be Sunday morning worship only, paying your tithes or singing on the praise time. We must be equipped to go deeper in God. 

 We must have:   

®        faith that defies human understanding

®      faith that goes totally beyond what we think could happen 

®      When God has called us to do something He has already given us the ability to do it or paved the way for us to do it.

We can’t doubt God or the ability that He places in us.  We mustn’t waver in our belief.  

Double mindedness will keep us in the shallow place. When we’re half-hearted and wavering, 

it leaves us unstable.

“A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”  James 1:8

When God has complete control, we won't leave until our assignment is done.

When God is leading us, He doesn't leave us where we are.  We have to follow His lead.  We can’t settle for being average.  

We have to take on His nature and characteristics even in our dealings with people.  For example, we have to learn to forgive even as Christ Jesus instructs.    He tells us in His word that when we pray, make sure that we forgive the faults of others so that our Heavenly Father will also forgive us. He warns us that if we withhold forgiveness from others, forgiveness of our Father will be withheld from us. 

“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”   Matthew 6:14-15

For some of us, this is a launch in the deep that we must take in order for us to keep moving forward in God.

There is something about being associated with God that transforms everything about us.   We need to allow ourselves to grow up in God.  When we don't allow ourselves to get to a place where we can forgive people, we limit our own growth in God.  Apostle Paul references maturity.  He says:

“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” 1 Corinthians 13:11 

In that same manner, we need to grow up spiritually by putting away the childish things like allowing our flesh to minister to us, carnality, worldly influences and standards that stunt our growth and keep us in a child-like state spiritually.

Again, church attendance, paying tithes, being a part of the program doesn’t guarantee our entrance in heaven nor does it give us the spiritual stability we need.  There must be demonstration of our faith in God by obedience to His will.

Yes, we all start in Christ as babes, we start with the sincere milk of the word as Peter tells us:

 “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”  1 Peter 2:2

- so that we can grow and tolerate the meat of the word. 

I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, . . . 1 Corinthians 3:2

But as a babe, taking in the milk, we can be observant of those that are living by the meat.  We drink the milk and observe those that are living out the word of God.  Think about the infant; the toddler that observes the parent and begins to imitate the parent’s actions.  My prayer is that the parent is giving the child a good example to follow and likewise, those that have spiritual maturity is setting good examples for the spiritual babes behind us.   The bible says:

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” Hebrews 12:1  

Don't let getting outside of God's will cause us to leave prematurely; abort the purpose God designed for us.  God is saying we need to come on up higher, loose control of our will and let God take control.  Be clothed in God, enveloped in His Holy Spirit everywhere we go and whatever we do.  That’s launching out; rather it be ankle, knee or waist deep – Lord I don’t know where you’re leading me today, but I’m ready.  Just look at Jesus, as a child; in a temple teaching for hours; launched out in the deep doing something that had not previously been done by a child.  But the leading of the Holy Spirit will have you doing and saying things that on your own, you either thought was impossible or you just never saw yourself doing!  Things that even those closest to you may not be aware, like Jesus’ family.  The bible says about the child Jesus, preaching in the temple:

But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.”  Luke 2:44-46

He did this without any acknowledgment to his parents.  We can’t be afraid to launch out in faith and believe that God will work with you and through you; have faith to make that life altering step that will change you and cause you to spring forth.  It's hard – impossible – to come into contact with God and still be the same.  The woman with the issue of blood launched out in faith despite all the obstacles that she had, despite the opposition that she faced in stepping out!  Because she launched out, look at how she was blessed.  Jesus said to her: 

And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.”  Luke 8:43-48  

But first, we must get a desire for the things of God.  Not just a desire, we must savor the things of God!

Give God the right to direct your life, and as you trust him along the way, you’ll find He works things out perfectly!

“Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”  Psalms 37:4-5

If we believe to the point that we have all the confidence in the world in God, then we’ll do anything and everything God tells us to do.   King David is an excellent example of someone launching out in faith against all of the obstacles that had beset Him.  We find this account in 1 Samuel 30.  His entire camp had been burned down, the wives and children taken.  The men that he commanded upset and thinking about stoning David.  The bible says that as distraught as he was over what had happened, he encouraged himself in God and he consulted God as to what he should do.  Spiritual maturity; he didn’t let his flesh minister to him.  God tells him to pursue but not who to pursue.  Without question, David got his men together and headed out.  When I tell you to trust God that He can and does do far more than we can even begin to imagine.  God put in David’s path a young servant that had been discarded by his master who witnessed everything that had happened and was able to tell David exactly where to find the Amalekites.  The bible says:

And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.  And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.  And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.  1 Samuel 30:17-19

The point here is that David stepped out in faith; not know who he was looking for r where they were but knowing that since God said pursue, He was going to be victorious.  God doesn’t set us up for failure! 

Despite what our inner man may tell us, because we savor the things of God, we’ll do what He asks of us, we’ll obey His commandments as written in His word.  We’ll do that instead of what we choose to do, we’ll do what God tells us to do.  This includes doing those things that may not be popular to our friends, family or acquaintances – those things that show us as peculiar treasures of God!  

Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: Exodus 19:5

Remember, there's nothing wrong with being peculiar. Peculiar is not strange; peculiar is being uniquely different because we have something on the inside working in and through us.  So, it’s okay to launch out and be that peculiar treasure that God called us to be.

Remember, if we refuse to launch out, we’re no different than those people that we read about in the bible who believed in God but because they feared the Pharisees, they kept it secret, so they wouldn’t be ostracized by the assembly of the Jews. They loved the glory that men could give them rather than the glory that came from God!

"Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."  John 12:42

But, when we savor the things of God above the things of this world or people’s opinions, we can freely move forward.

Not only that, our focus should be on the eternal things of God and not the temporal things of this world.  Yes, we know that the world is in a horrible state but we shouldn’t be surprised about it.  The word of God expressly informs us of the end time behavior of this world  how we: 

need to be aware that in the final days the culture of society will become extremely fierce.  People will be self-centered lovers of themselves and obsessed with money, how  they’ll boast of great things while they strut around in arrogant pride and mock everything right. They’re ungrateful and ungodly, addicted to hateful and malicious slander, slaves to their desires, ferocious, and belligerent haters of what is good and right.  2 Timothy 3:1-3

But, I’m here to tell you: 

Just as there is end time behavior upon us, we need to be in end time behavior also through our prayers, our praise, our worship and our faithfulness to witness to do the will of God! 

Talk about understanding the times; the world has most definitely launched out, likewise so must the body of Christ!  We can’t get so caught up in the things of the world that we lose focus on who is sovereign.

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.   Colossians 3:2
 

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word that it is received with an open heart and a sincere willingness to apply it to our lives.