How close can you get to God? (Part 3)

CONFRONT YOUR FEAR.

 

One of the greatest ways we can become intimate with God is by confronting and facing our own fears in the everyday storms of life. Fear can cause you to stay in your boat and miss a blessing from God. Fear can cause you to stay paralyzed, stay in the boat, and miss a great blessing from God.

 

In his book "If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat", John Ortberg said, "Your boat is whatever represents safety and security apart from God himself." It is what you put the most trust in, apart from God himself. What is your boat? Where do you put your trust? Your boat is what you put your trust in, especially in the midst of adverse times. As long as you sit in the boat and just pray, you can never defeat and conquer those fears.

 

We stay in the boat for various reasons. Many of us stay in the boat because of fear of failure, while others stay in the boat because of fear of success. While you're sitting in the boat and praying and waiting for God to show up, God is standing and waiting for you to step out. What is your boat? What are you trusting God for? Bette Midler incorrectly sang in a song, "God is watching us from a distance." You must understand, God is not some far-off God watching us from a distance, but God is close-up, a present-help in the time of trouble. We don't serve a God who keeps his distance, but we serve a God who keeps reminding us to confront our fears and keep coming closer. God is not some far-off God, but God is a present-help in the time of trouble.

 

We had to have enough courage to believe that God wasn't just watching from the distance but that God was right there with us, willing to provide everything that we needed if we just stepped out and trusted. I'm a living witness that real followers, when they confront their biggest fears, can receive great miracles from God. It is only when you confront your fears and storms in your life that God can do a miracle in your life.

 

It is one thing to experience closeness with God when everything is going good. Matter of fact, most of us stray away from God when everything is great. But it is the times when things seem chaotic that we want to get back close to God. God is not the author of confusion, but God is with us in the midst of confusion. It is in confusion that God will give us peace that surpasses all understanding. It is only when we face our fears and deal with the storms of our lives that we will understand that God is totally with us. God will give us strength to face the fear that is constantly attacking our courage.

 

If we expect any victories in our lives, we must be willing to confront our fears and wrestle with the issues and the stuff that's in our lives. What's your stuff? What lion are you battling? What giants are trying to take you out? What's the stuff that's trying to attack your courage? What is causing you to want to quit your marriage? What's causing you to want to leave your job after 25 years? What's causing you to not go back to school and complete your education? What is keeping you from not fully and totally trusting God? What is your stuff? God wants to do something great; but we have to confront our fears in the midst of our storm.

 

Excerpted from: HOW CLOSE CAN I GET TO GOD? by Mike Bowie (article for March 6th, 2005)

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