29 So He
said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked
on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the
wind was boisterous,[b] he
was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
31 And immediately Jesus
stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to
him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And
when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Matthew 14
This is one of the most
well-known passages in the Bible. Children don’t get far in Sunday School without knowing this passage.
There’s a good reason – it’s compelling and inspiring.
Let’s revisit this staple
of the Gospels and glean from its great truths!
Being a follower of Christ
does not insulate us from storms. Indeed there will be storms. It’s faith that
gets us through those storms. Important
to note is that the object of our faith, Jesus, saves us, not faith itself. Some people
talk about their faith as if they muster it up and it gives them an abstract quality that can
conquer anything. Biblical faith is absolute belief and trust in our
Shepherd. The person with faith in God “must believe that He is, and that He
is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) In other words, “I am going through a raging storm and
am calling out to the God of the universe to see me through, and believe He will reward me for
trusting Him.”
Peter began to sink
when he took his eyes off Jesus and put them on the storm. This is
something we all do and do often. When we are in the storm we obsess ourselves
with the storm. We look at it, study it, and tell our friends about how great
and fierce it is ad nauseam. Is it
any wonder we begin to sink?
It’s not wrong to
acknowledge the storm, that is
reality. However, we’re to keep our eyes riveted on Jesus. Be obsessed
with Him, His power, His greatness, His faithfulness, His love and His
promises. Tell your friends, “Yes
I am in a storm but my Lord is Master of the universe!”
Whatever storm you are
going through, God’s Word has a
promise of deliverance for you. Search God’s Word and see what He says about
what you are going through and how He has offered to deliver you. When the
waves rise and crash focus on the truth of God’s Word, it won’t
be long before you realize you are back in calm weather.
