Jeremiah 29:11  For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Paul teaches us that the just (or Christians) are to live by faith. In order to keep our souls alive and connected to the Lord, we must operate by faith. Do you have a vision or a dream that hasn’t come to fruition yet? Are you feeling the desire to step out of the everyday norm and do something extraordinary? If this describes you, then continue reading today’s word.

When God called Abram out of his father’s country, He promised Abram and Sarai a land that would be their inheritance. God only required that they leave their families behind; He then invited them to walk with Him and hear His voice. In Romans, we’re told that Abraham believed God, and it was accounted unto him as righteous. All Abraham had to do was be willing to hear God’s commands and obey them, and he became blessed. It was God who gave Abraham the vision of inheriting his own land; this didn’t come from Abraham’s desires.

I tell you this about Abraham, because we all need to know that God will give us visions, dreams, and promises to lead us out of a barren land over into a fruitful one, but we must hear and obey. This is one way that God has chosen to bless us as His people. We’re told every Sunday in church to obey the Word of God and our souls will live, but how many times are we reminded to live by stepping out in faith when we know that the Lord has placed a promise in our hearts to bless us.

If you travel to a third-world country, where the people aren’t taught the Word of God or allowed to worship Jesus, you will see hopelessness and death all around the people. They’re not living by faith, but by sight . . . so their souls are dead. This is very sad, but it’s true. In the United States, we are very blessed, but if we don’t walk by faith as believers we, too, will begin to die. Our blessings will begin to deplete and diminish before our very eyes, and if we’re not careful, we can slip into a pit of despair. The Lord desires that His people be blessed and prosperous, but He requires us to walk by faith so that we might inherit the promises.

If you know in your heart that the Lord wants you to step out in faith and do something that will be extraordinary, what is holding you back? Is it fear of the unknown? Once again, in America, fear has a death hold on the people. Our economy is in peril because many who have money won’t release it . . . because of uncertainty in the business world. This is called hoarding, and hoarding is caused by unbelief. It’s one thing for the world to be dominated by fear, but if we allow fear to hinder us from releasing our faith, then we are in sin before the Lord.

If you are sure that the Lord is leading you to step out in the face of great opposition, then know that He is with you . . . and with God, all things are possible. One thing you don’t want to happen is that you miss your window of opportunity and then have live in regret because of it. Take that step of faith, walk on top of the water of unbelief, and see the power of God carry you into a new day or season in your life.

Lord, please help all of us who know that you have given us a promise, vision, idea, or opportunity to step out in faith and see your salvation. Let us not allow fear or doubts to cause us to miss our moment of destiny so that we live in regret the remainder of our lives on earth. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen!  —submitted by Pastor Asa Dockery, US