MT 14:28 "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
When Peter was walking on the water, he eventually lost focus on Christ and focused on the wind and the waves, then started to sink. This is a great analogy for our own lives. Our waves are, "There's no way I can pay off my financial debt, " There's no way I can repair my relationship," and "There's no way I can eat this pound of bacon without syrup."
If we use this account as an analogy, we are Peter, the waves are the difficulties that arise, and Christ is, well, Christ. That's the same in this passage and in real life. That one's not that hard.
MT 14:28 "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
Like Peter, at first we're all like gung-ho, "Yeah dude! I'm gonna go out there and minister to everyone at work, then I'm gonna go home and lead my family closer to God, then I'm going to make the greatest sandwich ever, then I'm gonna show my wife how much I care by sacrificing my time to listen to her talk about her day."
And in reality what happens is, "AH! My boss is a moron! My kids are idiots. This sandwich tastes like New Jersey and my wife is trying to share her day with me while Peyton Manning is driving the Colts down the field.
Now notice I picked normal everyday examples, not huge troubles like, "Oh, my leg just fell off," or, "a dingo ate my baby," because that's all it takes for us to take our eyes off of Christ.
Like the waves are two inches high and we're all like, "Was that a wave? Grab your life preservers! Save me! Where's David Hasselhoff?!"
These waves cause doubt. And what is doubt? Doubt is non-faith.
We're have doubt while Christ is standing right there. He's the maker of wind and the waves. He controls them.
And what's amazing about this passage is that even though Peter took his eyes off of Christ and started to sink, Christ did not let him drown. He reached in and pulled Peter out.
So even if we don't have faith, Christ still does not let us drown. Yeah we'll still get wet and you'll be soaked, but you won't drown.
So yeah, it's easy to say, "keep your eyes focused on Him." But what does that really mean?
You have to have faith in His character - His love, His sovereignty, His wisdom, His power. And you have to have faith in Him promises (which are Bible verses) like Romans 8:28.
Who is stronger? Bills, bosses, family members, or God - the creator and owner of the universe - the one who controls the wind and the waves.
It seems obvious, but yeah, that's how little faith we have.
MT 14:25 During the fourth watch of the night 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.
MT 14:27 But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
MT 14:28 "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
MT 14:29 "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!"
MT 14:31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"
MT 14:32 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."
Today's Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness
Take time to Pray: Ask God for faith. Ask for forgiveness for your doubt.
