Matthew 14:22–33 ‘But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”’ (v30)
Peter makes so many mistakes, but it seems that he is the only disciple in the boat to want to take the risk and walk on water when invited to do so!
Many of us can probably relate to this hot-headed disciple; he makes extreme statements, such as the one found in Matthew 26:33 where he swears he will never fail Jesus. (He does, of course.)
Here, the ghostly presence walking on water that has scared the disciples is none other than the Lord Himself. Peter is bold enough to ask Jesus if he, Peter, can walk on the water too.
Jesus answers in the affirmative and the next minute, Peter has swung his legs over the side of the boat.
All is going well until he takes his eyes off his Lord and looks at his surroundings. Fear hits him, and he begins to sink. He calls out to Jesus, and the Lord lifts Him out of danger – with a wry rebuke; why did Peter doubt (v31)?
Why do we doubt? Especially when we know that we are doing God’s will. We might be taking a risk, but it seems that when fear kicks in, often faith leaves by the back door.
But good news: it’s only hovering in the yard. Once we gain perspective, and shout the name of Jesus, asking Him to save us, He’s right there, holding us, questioning why we doubt Him.
Where’s our faith? We can only really trust someone when we know them well; when we find they’re dependable, we know they’ll be there for us.
It’s the same with the Lord; the more we get to know Him, the more we can trust Him. Even when He tells us to get out of the boat!
A Prayer To Make:
‘Lord, help me to discern Your will for my life. Where are You asking me to take a bold step for You? Give me the power and the courage, Lord, to walk in faith. Amen.’
An Action To Take:
Is God asking you to step out of the boat, in one way or another? Is He asking you to take a risk for Him? How will you respond?
Scripture To Consider:
Neh. 1:1–11; Dan. 1:1–16; Acts 5:17–42 & 26:1–32
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