Walking on water!
I once heard a radio DJ ask “Why do you think Jesus walked on water?” a caller replied “To show us he could do anything!” The DJ agreed and moved on from the topic. It got me thinking though, it is my personal feeling that they missed the point. You see, Jesus wasn’t the only one who walked on water. The Bible tells us that Peter also walked on water. He saw Jesus, asked Jesus to tell him to come to Him and then he got out of the boat that was being rocked by the wind and waves, focused his eyes on Christ and all be darned if he didn’t walk on water too!! Walking on the very thing that in this situation, was the biggest threat to Peter and the disciples. So the point, to me, was not that Jesus could do anything, but instead to let us know that WE could do anything if we focus our eyes on Christ.
So often in the storms of life we huddle in the boat, terrified, drifting, uncertain of what to do. Our storms all look different, but rest assured, we all have them. The ones that knock the breath out of us, bring us to our knees, make us feel helpless. The image of the disciples in a boat, completely at the mercy of the wind and waves is one that is enough to leave me breathless. I don’t like to feel out of control…that coupled with an unhealthy fear of deep water and this pretty much sums up helplessness to me. But I don’t have to be in the middle of a literal storm, out at sea to know helplessness. I have had my own figurative storms that rocked my world. I am sure you have too. Some of us have dealt with a death of a loved one, some have had financial loss, others have a marriage in trouble, a broken friendship, job stress. The “storms” are simply too numerous to count. But what I have found, is that when we find ourselves with the wind knocked out of us and down on the ground, we have a choice. We can curl up in a ball and scream and cry and rant and rave and live in fear. Or we can focus our eyes on Christ and step out of the boat and run to Him and trust in Him. It isn’t always easy, but when we do, we find ourselves walking on “water” too. Walking over the things we fear the most. We find ourselves strengthened to walk above our worries, to walk in peace and joy despite our troubles because we have taken our focus off of the problem and focused them instead on the one who will deliver us!
As the old cliché goes I am sure you are thinking “easier said than done”. And I whole heartedly agree….however, God doesn’t just yell at us to “get out of the boat and do something you have never done before!!” and then let us drown if we fail . He knows us inside and out and sympathizes with our fears. When Peter got out of the boat and walked on water he soon took his eyes off of Christ and plunged into the cold, dark water. We are no different than Peter. I have been smoothly walking through troubled times and plunged back into fear when I have taken my attention off of all God can and does do for me and instead focused on the impossible mountain in front of me. But when Peter found himself neck deep in turbulent water he cried out to Jesus and the next word in the Bible is “Immediately”…..it says that immediately Jesus reached out and pulled Peter to safety .He simply and immediately reached out and saved him. And He does the same for us when we cry out for Him as well! He doesn’t watch us flail for a while and then help us…when we cry out to Christ His rescue is immediate!
The interesting thing is that Peter didn’t have to get out of the boat for Jesus to save them. Jesus was there the whole time and would have taken care of them regardless, just like He is with us, taking care of us regardless of if we get out of our “boat” or not. But make no mistake, if we choose to focus our eyes on Christ during our troubles, and climb out of our mess and walk towards Him….then just like Peter, we will have the privilege of doing more than we are capable of doing alone, the privilege of feeling God lift us up and helping us to “walk on water”!
Matthew 14:23-33
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.”
His grace is enough for me! 
I'd love to hear what you are thinking!!