So Peter stepped out onto the water and began to walk toward Jesus. 30 But when he realized how high the waves were, he became frightened and started to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he cried out.
31 Jesus immediately stretched out his hand and lifted him up and said, “What little faith you have! Why would you let doubt win?”
-Matthew 14:29b-31, TPT
High waves. Turbulent “waters.”
Can you relate to that?
In this little story, we are given the secret to surviving truly threatening circumstances. Let me make a couple of points apparent.
First, the waves were high and the drowning threat was real.
This story does not teach us to live in denial:
It teaches us that real, difficult circumstances ultimately are not the most important part of the situation.
Problems are real these days. A real virus exists and is truly killing people. The threat exists.*
The same idea applies to divorcing a cheater. Real threats and problems exist. For example, figuring out how to survive financially and have medical insurance is not just an imaginary problem. God does not call us to deny the existence of such real problems.
However, the story does not end with Peter succumbing to the real threat of drowning….
Jesus rescues Peter and rebukes him for lacking faith.
We are not going through our storm of life alone. Jesus is walking on the “water” with us. We are not facing these real problems without our Good Shepherd (see John 10 and Psalm 23).
He is calling us to trust Him. Jesus asks us to have faith.
He commands the waves of life. What we are going through is not a surprise to Him. Whatever happens, we need not live in fear of the waves. Jesus calls us to live in faith, instead.
So, what about you? Will you walk the “waves” with faith?
The Jesus I know rewards such faith. I have seen this over and over again in my life. He is looking for those who will stay faithful and obedient through life’s storms. This faithfulness He rewards.
Even if things do not turn out as we would like, I have found–looking back–that God never left me but saw me through the storm.
The “storm” maybe real but so is the Lord of the storm.
I will leave you with this song that talks about walking on the water:
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*A version ran previously. Originally, written during the pandemic.
