Walking on Water!

“Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.  After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.  When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. ‘It’s a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage!  It is I. Don’t be afraid.’

‘Lord, if it’s you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’

‘Come,’ he said. 

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’  Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’  And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.  Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’ ”  (Matthew 12:22-33)

There is much to be gleaned from this passage about Peter walking on water; about trusting Christ, following Him in faith towards the impossible, and the awesome glory given to Him when in the wake of such miracles.   Peter stepped out of that boat in complete faith that he would walk to Jesus.  As long as Peter kept His eyes on Christ, he walked on the water, he did the impossible.  But as soon as he turned his eyes to the world around him, and saw everything that would naturally prevent him from moving forward, he immediately began to sink.  By faith he attained the unattainable; in doubt he was defeated…the most predictable, expected outcome of trying to do the impossible!  It is only by having complete and total faith in the Lord that we can follow Him when he says, “Come.”  Otherwise, we sink.

That level of faith and trust is so much easier said than done.  It’s easy to say, “Yes, I trust God.”  But when absolutely everything around you tells you that you will surely fall, will you take the step anyway?  Peter did.  And he walked!  He set his eyes on Christ, followed Him, and he walked!!  That’s pretty awesome for Peter, but it’s even more amazing for the Lord.  When we trust Him enough to do the unthinkable, it brings us, as well as those who witness His success, into a deeper level of belief and faith in Christ.  We must take those steps in faith, not only so that we may feel the water under our feet, but also that He might receive praise and glory from all those who watch us walk on water with Him!  We must take those steps to bring Him victory!

Standing in a sea of impossibility, surrounded by crashing waves of worldly disapproval, buffeted by winds of doubt and skepticism, the Lord is asking us to “Come.”  We have stepped out of the boat, felt the water under our feet, and have begun to sink.  We are crying out “Lord, save us!”  He has caught us, picked us up out of the water, and is admonishing us for our lack of faith and trust.  Will we walk forward in faith with Him?  Will we be vessels of victory for our Almight Father?  Will we bring him glory?  Or will we sink? 

To be continued!  And to Him be all the glory!