Trust without Borders

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” —Joshua 1:9

One song that has always resonated deep within my spirit is Oceans by Hillsong. No matter how many times I hear it (and it played a LOT on Christian radio for awhile there) I can’t get tired of it.

The song played while guests were being seated at my oceanfront wedding. I was married on Pass-a-Grille beach in Saint Petersburg, Florida where my hubby and I spent many days while courting. I’ve always had a love for the ocean. I’ve always wanted to learn how to scuba dive so I could explore the unknown.

This past Sunday I had the honor of leading my church in worship with Oceans. Before I started, I encouraged everyone to ask the Lord to take them deeper—to truly trust Him without borders—to trust Him with their marriage, their family members, their healing.

And that is precisely what I am learning to do.

Thirteen days ago I began the Trust Without Borders Experiment from fellow blogger Arabah Joy. Through this I am learning to truly trust God for His promises, and trust who He says He is. Proverbs 3:5 hangs in my living room, the vinyl letters stuck to a mirror by the front door, a great reminder to trust the One who knows all.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;” —Proverbs 3:5

It was a housewarming gift from a friend of mine who had asked what my favorite verse was. I told her Proverbs 3:5-6, however, the two verses couldn’t fit on the small mirror. While the above verse is very important, I think the next one is equally important:

“in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.” —Proverb 3:6

Not only do we need to trust in the Lord with all of our heart, but we need to submit to Him and He will make our paths straight. That doesn’t mean there won’t be rocky paths, or that there won’t be a cliff at some point, but what it does mean is that as long as we are leaning on Him we have nothing to fear. When we trust Papa, we can get to that cliff and soar on wings like eagles to the other side.

Back to the ocean. It’s so peaceful and calming. There’s nothing I enjoy more than the sun on my shoulders and sound of waves gently lapping the shoreline. Although it’s difficult for me to get to the water and out of the water due to my fused ankle and pain level, once I am in there I am free. I can swim until my heart’s content. Swimming comes much easier than trying to walk, even though with a fused ankle it can still pose a bit of a challenge.

Pass-a-Grille beach

One time while standing out in the calm gulf water, I looked out as far as the eye could see. I began singing Oceans to my Father.

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

I sang the whole song, and it was just me and Him there in the calm of the ocean. But what if the waves were crashing hard, the sun was hiding it’s face, and I was in the middle of a squall on a fisherman’s boat? Would I be so peaceful then? Would I trust Jesus to call me out upon the water where feet may fail, and keep my gaze on Him, or would I look down into the deep as Peter did and start to sink? I don’t want to sink.

So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Lord, help us to trust you without borders. Give us the courage to head out into the deep of life knowing that no matter what awaits us there, You will be right  beside us. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

What are you trusting Papa for? If you need help in this area I encourage you to follow the link I posted above to Arabah Joy’s Trust Without Borders Challenge. We can form new habits, and what better habit to form than trusting our Father who has our best interests at heart! 🙂