Walking with Jesus on Earth was an exciting experience—probably the best time in the disciples’ lives. These accounts were anything but boring. They were fun, insightful, and challenging, especially when Peter asked Jesus to let him walk on water. They show that Jesus allows us to go as far as our faith will take us and also becomes a safe place to land when our faith runs out. We can afford to take chances when we put God at the helm.
But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, distressed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It’s a ghost!” and they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Cheer up! It is I! Don’t be afraid.” Matthew 14:24-27
Cheer Up & Don’t Be Afraid
Jesus’ response to the disciples when they were terrified in the boat came in three parts. We can look for this in our lives, too. First, when we’re in trouble, He comes to us. Like this BIblical account, He comes, walking to us in the middle of our storms. The second thing he did was to reassure them with comforting and encouraging words. Not only did He assure them not to be afraid, but he also told them to cheer up. We can take comfort in the fact that when we are afraid, we have a Savior who comes to us, cheers us up, banishes our fear, and encourages us. He also does something quite fun. He indulges our exploits of faith.
God’s Indulgence
People probably don’t consider God indulgent. However, when we look at the situation in the boat with Peter, Peter asks Jesus if he can walk on the water, too. Peter wanted to do a full-on, outright, unquestionable miracle. I love Jesus’ response; I can almost hear a Southern accent. “Come on, get on out of that boat.” I wonder if Jesus is waiting for us to ask Him to walk on our own water in the middle of our storms. I bet He is; how many of us think about this, much less do it? I want to be more like Peter in this and push those faith boundaries.
Peter answered him and said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the waters.” He said, “Come!” Peter stepped down from the boat and walked on the waters to come to Jesus. Matthew 14:29
He Won’t Let Us Sink
Sometimes, my walk of faith can be a bit wobbly. Just like Peter, the noise of the wind, the crashing of the waves, all the external factors that animate our doubt come hurling at us. We begin to sink. Jesus doesn’t hesitate to come to Peter’s rescue when Peter begins to doubt. The Bible says that “Immediately,” Jesus reached out and took hold of him. He didn’t let him sink, and he won’t allow us to sink either. We only need to call Him out, and He will save us.
"But when he saw that the wind was strong, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they got up into the boat, the wind ceased. Those who were in the boat came and worshiped him, saying, “You are truly the Son of God!” Matthew 14:30-33
He Is Humble
Sometimes, in the context of our current culture and with the limitations of translation, Jesus can appear to be condemning or insulting when he was encouraging His people. This is a danger in the “Ye of little faith” statements. Jesus was humble and never talked down to His followers or disciples. So when He said, “You of little faith, why did you doubt,” it wasn’t a disparaging comment on them. He was reminding them that He had their back, that they had nothing to fear. He says, “I am here; I will help you do more than you ever dreamt; you don’t have to be afraid when I’m with you.”
Prayer
Oh Lord, I thank You for the story about Peter. God, there are many times when I doubt just some basic things, and you come to me in a caring way, not a condemning way. You are very willing to indulge my faith, give me strength, and help me do things I never imagined I could do. God, forgive me for not believing You but help me overcome my unbelief. Please give me the courage and confidence to dare to walk on water.
Poem
Below is a little poem I wrote called “Walking on Water.” I pray it encourages you.
