Matthew 14:28, 30 (KJV): And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
We have always known Peter to be an outspoken disciple. He dares and questions a whole lot. He is the perfect example of an extroverted Christian.
In the verse above, Jesus had told his disciples to go on without him as he ascended the mountain to pray. When he finished, his disciples were miles away from him on the sea.There was no speed boat available, so he had to catch up with them the divine way. He walked on water. That was a miracle!
When he approached them, the disciples shrieked at the sight of him. They thought he was a spirit. Jesus had to calm them by reassuring them that it was Him.
Peter, being skeptical of Jesus’ statement, asked if he was truly the one. “Come,” was Jesus’ unhesitated response.Peter wasted no time as he went overboard into the sea. As he stepped on the water, he knew it was an extraordinary experience.
In his euphoria, he advanced towards Jesus, walking on water! “This is incredible,” he would have thought.
A few moments later, the situation turned against him. The wind became boisterous and the waves swelled, threatening to swallow him. In the midst of the adverse situation, he lost sight of Jesus, fretted, and began to sink. In his state of panicking, he wasted no time in crying out to Jesus for help.
As much as God delights in our actions of faith, he is also very much available to shield us from the storms that may arise in our adventures.
Jesus didn’t hesitate to help his sinking disciple. As Christians, we delight in anything that’s tagged God’s will. Whenever we want to embark on any journey, be it academical, ministerial, marital or business-wise, we don’t despise consulting God’s will. We do it because we understand that God’s choice is the best.
Whenever we receive a go-ahead from God, we, like Peter, go overboard and step into ‘the sea’. We get delighted walking on our seas, with faith in God. Along the way, unpleasant circumstances we didn’t bargain for arise and begin to dim our focus on Jesus. We become frightened at the thought of being consumed by fierce situations.
Peter did not foresee what would happen after he took that first step. He launched out with faith. Likewise, many of us never anticipated any form of storm when we took that first step out of our ship into God’s will.
When we encounter them, they tend to shift our gaze off Christ, and once it is off, fear, doubt, and unbelief creep in. They break the miracle’s surface tension that enhanced our walk on the sea; therefore, we begin to sink. When we begin to feel overwhelmed, let’s cry out to God for help like Peter did. Peter knew that Christ was the one who had beckoned him to come in the first place; so he would be the only one to deliver him.
Let’s not try to manage our “sinking” condition. If conditions begin to get haywire, let out your cry for help to Christ. Like he did for Peter, he will not hesitate to help us.When storms arise, let’s raise our voices to God for help.
As much as God delights in our actions of faith, he is also very much available to shield us from the storms that may arise in our adventures.
God bless you.