‘Let’s go over to the deep end, ’ she yelled out to me.
‘No, I don’t know how to swim,’ I yelled back. Almost annoyed that she couldn’t understand.
‘But you do know you have a life jacket on,’ she replied.
‘Ah, yes. I’m still scared, ’ I murmured, my voice fading away in thought.

I wasn’t very sure the life jacket would do its job.

The oxford dictionary defines a life jacket as a sleeveless buoyant or inflatable jacket for keeping a person afloat in water.

I wasn’t sure that the jacket would really keep me afloat. I wasn’t sure that the one thing that this jacket was designed for, was designed right. I knew it was fear and anxiety that would drown me more than the fact that I didn’t know how to swim. (I know, the life jacket was designed for people who don’t know how to swim.)

So just for one moment, I decided to give the life jacket a chance and guess what happened? I floated! It was beautiful, lying there on the water staring up at the vast sky. I almost believed in the jacket…Then I lost faith again, and I started splashing in the water with a life jacket on! What a miserable sight I was. Embarrassed, I quickly got my act together and stayed on the shallow end.

That’s when I realized this is the exact way I trust Jesus most days.
The Savior of the world who came to save me. The One who holds my life in His hands. The One who died in my place. The One who promised to never leave me. The One who told me that I can walk on water if I step out of the boat with Him. The One who divided the sea so I could walk through it. The One whose name is above every name. The Great I Am.

I wish I could tell you that I trusted and floated my way through life but that’s not true. I have drowned more times than I care to admit. But God was always near.

Friend, when we learn to trust our Maker, we can float and even walk on the deep end. The view is a whole lot different when you choose to trust the One who promised to be with you. And like someone quoted, if we cannot trust the One who died for us, who can we trust?

So what are you going to choose?
Are you going to stay on the shallow end with a life jacket on and look silly? Or are you going to move to the deep end with an army of angels backing you up? Because if God is with you, you will not fall.

You don’t have to be afraid. God’s got you in the palm of His hand and He isn’t ever going to let go. Our Father never walks away especially when we dare to believe in things we cannot see.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

Luke 5:4 (NIV)

“Come,” he said. 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. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Matthew 14:29-31 (NIV)

For they turned away from faith and walked away in fear;
they failed to trust in his power to help them when he was near. Still he spoke on their behalf and the skies opened up; the windows of heaven poured out food, the mercy bread-manna. The grain of grace fell from the clouds. 

Psalms 78:22-24 (TPT)

Even when their paths wind through the dark valley of tears,
they dig deep to find a pleasant pool where others find only pain.
He gives to them a brook of blessing filled from the rain of an outpouring.They grow stronger and stronger with every step forward, and the God of all gods will appear before them in Zion.

Psalms 84:6-7 (TPT)

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 

Isaiah 43:1-2 (ESV)

This post was first published here on the author’s blog.