And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. (Matthew 14:29)
There are times in our lives that we go through so many afflictions and pain that it seems as though we are sinking and nothing or no one can save. During those times we must stand fast on the word of God and trust that Jesus is here and calling us to walk on the water of our circumstances instead of drowning in them.
This reminds me of the Bible story in Matthew 14:21-32, Jesus just finished feeding over 5000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish when He told His disciples to get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent away the crowds. After He had dismissed the multitudes, He went up into the hills by Himself to pray. When it was evening, Jesus was still there alone, but the boat was by this time out on the sea, about one-eighth of a mile in distance from the land, beaten and tossed by the waves, for the wind was against them.
Here comes Jesus walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified and said, “It is a ghost”! And they screamed out with fright. But instantly He spoke to them, saying, “Take courage! It is I, don’t be afraid”! Peter answered Him, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.
Jesus said to Peter, “Come”! So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and he came toward Jesus. But when he perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened, and as he began to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me from death and instantly Jesus reached out His hand and caught and held him, saying to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt?
And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Just like Peter, we are in our little ships of life going through our winds and storms and sometimes we can lose focus of the truth that Jesus is the God of miracles and He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we could even ask or think no matter how bad the storms of life seem to be.
Peter along with all the disciples had just witness Jesus miracle working power, and hours later they were doubtful and afraid. They forgot so quickly that God is able and willing to deliver them. God wants to teach us how to focus on Him regardless of the trouble we face. He wants us to learn to walk by faith being strong and confident with bold and intrepid courage, knowing that as long as He is with us, our problems will never over take us but make us stronger.
