Are You Walking On The Water?
The account for Peter and Jesus walking on the water can be found in
Matthew 14: 22-32 (NIV)
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
I have heard many a lesson preached on this passage of scripture but something in the last few days has been mulling around on the inside about this story that I wanted to share with you today. I have heard it preached that Peter at least had enough faith to step out on the boat. I mean Jesus said “come” and any one of them could have. That point is very true. Peter was the only one that stepped out of the boat and for that I can say, “Yeah Peter”. Obviously this story is a good reminder that when you take your eyes off of Jesus and put them on circumstances and storms it is only then you sink. Jesus had mercy to reach down and save Peter, but when they got back to the boat Jesus knew it was his doubt that was making him sink.
But what suddenly occurred to me about this passage was a new angle. Peter is often known in the Bible for being the kind of person that speaks first and then thinks. Peter really did not think about stepping out of that boat and walking on the water. Jesus said “come” and so he did. He did not really start thinking about what he was doing until after he was out on the water. That is when it occurred to him, “What have I just gotten myself into?” “That wave is huge! How am I going to get out of this?” It was then doubt and fear started to hit him, and it was then he started to sink.
I am a lot like Peter in several ways. I have often found myself in trouble for talking or acting first and then thinking. I am quick to jump into a situation. I realized that for me the issue with several things we have stepped out in our lives was not the getting out of the boat part. I knew God told us to do things and we did it. But it has been the choice to continue to walk on the water even though circumstances do not seem as calm as I would like them to be for the choices we have made.
Faith is not a one-time choice and then you are done. Faith is a constant choosing to be stable in what He has said.
James 1:2-8 (NIV)
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
Keep choosing to move forward in what you know God has called you to do. Do not be double minded. Do not be rocked by what circumstances say or appear to do. Step out of the boat to go forward in what God is saying, and KEEP walking on that water! I do not care how big a wave might look, Jesus is always bigger. He’s there walking with you. Be encouraged!
Matthew 14: 22-32 (NIV)
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
I have heard many a lesson preached on this passage of scripture but something in the last few days has been mulling around on the inside about this story that I wanted to share with you today. I have heard it preached that Peter at least had enough faith to step out on the boat. I mean Jesus said “come” and any one of them could have. That point is very true. Peter was the only one that stepped out of the boat and for that I can say, “Yeah Peter”. Obviously this story is a good reminder that when you take your eyes off of Jesus and put them on circumstances and storms it is only then you sink. Jesus had mercy to reach down and save Peter, but when they got back to the boat Jesus knew it was his doubt that was making him sink.
But what suddenly occurred to me about this passage was a new angle. Peter is often known in the Bible for being the kind of person that speaks first and then thinks. Peter really did not think about stepping out of that boat and walking on the water. Jesus said “come” and so he did. He did not really start thinking about what he was doing until after he was out on the water. That is when it occurred to him, “What have I just gotten myself into?” “That wave is huge! How am I going to get out of this?” It was then doubt and fear started to hit him, and it was then he started to sink.
I am a lot like Peter in several ways. I have often found myself in trouble for talking or acting first and then thinking. I am quick to jump into a situation. I realized that for me the issue with several things we have stepped out in our lives was not the getting out of the boat part. I knew God told us to do things and we did it. But it has been the choice to continue to walk on the water even though circumstances do not seem as calm as I would like them to be for the choices we have made.
Faith is not a one-time choice and then you are done. Faith is a constant choosing to be stable in what He has said.
James 1:2-8 (NIV)
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
Keep choosing to move forward in what you know God has called you to do. Do not be double minded. Do not be rocked by what circumstances say or appear to do. Step out of the boat to go forward in what God is saying, and KEEP walking on that water! I do not care how big a wave might look, Jesus is always bigger. He’s there walking with you. Be encouraged!
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