Recently, I was reading the story about how Jesus sent His disciples on a boat to meet Him on the other side of the land they were at while He stayed behind to pray. By that evening the disciples had made it to the middle of the sea. Their boat was being battered by the wind and waves and Jesus was still back where they had left Him. It wasn’t until nighttime that Jesus appeared to them, walking on the water. The disciples were afraid when they saw Him thinking He was a ghost but Jesus assured them saying, “Be of good cheer! it is I: do not be afraid.” A disciple named Peter challenged Jesus and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So Jesus did and Peter stepped out of the boat and began to walk on the water. However, it wasn’t until Peter realized that the wind was very strong that he became afraid and started to sink. He cried out to Jesus for help and immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” When Jesus and Peter got into the boat the wind ceased and the other disciples worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.” That was my condensed version but the entire story can be found in Matthew 14. I decided to pick out a few verses that I can relate too and put my own spin on. It’s a long post so get comfortable!
22) Then He directed the disciples to get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent away the crowds.
Jesus gave them a direction and a promise. Go, and I’ll meet you on the other side. Sometimes when I think God is calling me in a certain direction it’s difficult to go because I don’t have very many details. Umm, what is the best route? Is there anything I should be aware of before I set out on this journey? But that is all part of stepping out in faith and trusting God in every area of my life even when I’m not sure. To trust that when God says go He will get me there no matter what and if it wasn’t something He wanted me to do He will guide me back in the right direction. So either way I should have nothing to worry about. When I don’t take action all I’m doing is short changing myself on a learning experience which is what life is all about. He is faithful and not giving me all the details keeps me guessing and leaning on Him for guidance and strength.
24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea…
I think it’s when we are in the middle of what God has called us to do that the heaviest storms seem to hit. We are now faced with the choice to turn back toward where we came from, the place of comfort, or to continue to face the challenging circumstances that are before us in order to reach our destination. That midway point is dangerous because the choice to turn back is a little more tempting because I know the route back, I just walked it, but ahead…I don’t know. I don’t know what moving forward is going to be like and depending on my experience to my halfway point I might not want to go through anymore trials. This is the place where I need to remind myself why I started on this journey in the first place and find peace knowing that Jesus is with me. Sometimes I just need to rest at this point. Stop and breathe. Perhaps I’m exhausted because I’ve been trying to do everything on my own without acknowledging God. It’s as if when He said “Go” I took off in a sprint and have kept my head down the whole time focusing on running instead of looking at my “coach” for encouragement and guidance.
28 – 32) And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ” O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After Peter heard Jesus’ reply, one thing he didn’t do was turn to his disciples (aka friends) and ask for approval or support in the matter. He just went because He was told. Many times in my life I can remember wanting to take a risk but instead of just doing it I looked for the approval of others. Now, don’t get me wrong, in some cases it’s wise to ask for guidance when making major decisions but in my case the risks were more of a learning opportunity then anything else…a chance to try something new and get out of my comfort zone. I’ve been trying to put this into practice more often. I admit, I still want approval and support from my friends and family but I cannot let their disapproval stop me from doing want I was set out to do before I told them of my plans. The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe. Proverbs 29:25
Peter took a risk and stepped out of the boat onto the water and began to walk toward Jesus. I can imagine him thinking…”Well, this wasn’t as bad as I thought…despite these waves it’s really not that difficult to walk on the water.” Perhaps he was even excited about it. Maybe he even looked back at his friends with a smile to say, “Hey, this isn’t scary! Walking on water is easy!” However, when Peter became aware of the wind is when he became frightened and began to sink. So, reality set in for Peter and oddly enough it wasn’t about the fact that he was walking on water but that the wind was so intense. Wind…an invisible force that we can’t see but can be felt. What was is about the wind that frightened Peter? Was it because it was pushing him backwards or sideways….or maybe it was pushing him forward faster then he intended? Either way he was battling a force he couldn’t see. In my life the wind could represent my own doubts, fears, and insecurities. Forces that are very real, can be felt, but not seen.
Peter knew he was in trouble when he started to sink so he called out to Jesus for help. And, like always, Jesus immediately reached out His hand and caught him. That is one thing I love about Jesus! When we call out for help He is there and He catches us instantly. No hesitation! However, while Jesus had Peter securely in His hands He asked him a question…”Why did you doubt?” I appreciate that Jesus didn’t ask Peter this question AS he was sinking. It wasn’t until Jesus had him in his hands…face to face…that he asked him. The majority of the time my response to that question is, “I don’t know…because!” but honestly I probably doubt because I start to look at my circumstances (the wind) and take into consideration my inability to control the situation. That is when I quickly come to the conclusion that this is not going to work! With me in charge, the boat will sink, the people will drown, and this Captain isn’t staying with the boat…I’m grabbing the nearest life vest and holding on for dear life…Peace, hope ya’ll make it! Hahaha! On the other hand, when my thoughts play the role of the wind I start to get pushed in directions so easily because I’ve let my mind wander from the knowledge I have about Jesus Christ and His love for me. It’s like I forget He didn’t send me out here to watch me drown. No, no, He knows where I am and has everything under control! I’m working on this area in my thought life but sometimes I can still let them have too much influence.
Last verses everyone…thanks for staying with me!
32 – 33) And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
These verses remind me that Jesus will always get me back safely but most notable is that people (family, friends, co-workers, etc.) are watching me on my journey. They are observing how I handle situations that are over my head or when I’m faced with a challenge. People are watching how I react and how I interact with God. How I proclaim His promises and lean on Him for my strength. How I go when I think He is calling me to a certain place because I have faith that however the situation turns out He will always bring me through. That is what I want people to see. I want the people in my life to see my faith in action. Even when it sounds crazy to me I want them to know that I trust and have faith in God. Yes, somethings things don’t work out like I had planned but in the end people will see the turn around from it and be even more amazed at what God does and praise Him for it. My purpose in life is to reveal God to the people in my life. Whether that be telling people about what I think He is leading me to do and taking action or being humble when things don’t work out like I expected yet still praising His name knowing that He planned my life, He has it all mapped out, so just because I didn’t get it right doesn’t mean He got it wrong.
Okay, my reading warriors, that was a long one!! I hope you were able to take away something from these verses or relate to something I wrote. Don’t let the winds in your life toss you! Rest, refocus, and continue on…remember you are halfway there!!