Matthew 14:22-33
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 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.”
Be Courageous and Listen to His Call verses 27-29
Will you be like Peter, having the courage to get out of the boat and step out onto the water? Many times we are like the other disciples who stayed safely in the boat. Will you be brave and listen to what God is calling you to do? This might be the calling of Him drawing you into a personal relationship with Himself, calling you to accept Him as your Savior. This might be the call of Him asking you to trust Him in a situation that you know you can’t handle on your own.
Don’t Get Distracted by the Waves verse 30
Storms surround us in this life. It is not all smooth sailing as we all know and can attest to. There are so many circumstances that will arise, that if we allow them to, will take our focus off of God. Just like Peter began to sink, we also start to sink as we look around and let the strong waves suck us under. We know, as it says in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” He will hit you with waves from all sides trying anything he can do to keep you away from the great things God wants to do in your life.
Have Faith and Call Out for His Help verses 30b-31
God is not calling us to trust in our circumstances. He is calling us to trust in His power! He is the perfector of working out situations that in our minds are impossible. Later, in the book of Matthew Jesus says to them, “with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” There is also a verse in Job 42:2 that states, “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” When you are in the storm, have faith in what He can do, and like Peter did, call out, “Lord, save me!”
Worship Him and Let Him Use Your Life to Show His Power verses 32-33
When He does great things in your life, make sure you point to Him, worship Him, and give Him the glory He is due. So many times when a situation works out we throw up a quick “thank you prayer” and move on. God might have a bigger purpose for the mighty “waves” we are facing. A purpose to show His great power through circumstances in your life that to the world watching, and maybe even to just yourself, shows what He can do.
So I ask you today...
1. Will you go, stepping out of the boat, trusting in His power to see you through in what He is calling you to do?
2. Will you focus on Jesus and not the waves of your situations?
3. Will you have faith enough to trust Him and call out for His help, not depending on your own strength?
4. Lastly, in however God works through the storm, will you worship Him and allow Him to use your life for His purposes?
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