"And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus."
Matthew 14:28, 29
We have all read this scripture where Peter joins Jesus for a stroll on the Galilee.
The scriptures tell us that the lake was tempestuous, with high winds that had kicked up whitecapped waves. The small boat with the disciples on board-without Jesus-was taking the brunt of it.
There are no comments of the disciples recorded here, but I am sure they were not very happy about Jesus making them head out to the other side of the Galilee (Matt.14:22) without Him accompanying them. I'm sure they may have felt stranded, abandoned. They were "up the proverbial creek with a paddle", or so they thought.
Out in the middle of that stormy sea, just before dawn, they see something, or someone-walking across the waves! Thinking with their natural, unbelieving minds they surmise it's a ghost, but then they hear the voice of the Shepherd! How could it be ? After all, aren't they in the middle of this body of water that has a 33 mile circumference? But Peter calls to Him: "Lord, if it's You, bid me to get out of ths boat (paraphrased) and come to you on the water!" Jesus says."Come!" and as his astounded companions watch, he throws comfort and convention to the wind, swings his legs over the side, fixes his eyes on Jesus and does the seemingly impossible.
I find myself getting "out of the boat", maybe even being thown out of the boat,to be totally honest, out of the established comfort zone, jettisoned from my Egypt, my Ur... I'm headed down (or up) a new path that is directed by faith, not the convention or wisdom of the world.
It is the voice of my Shepherd that guides me and I reach forward to grab hold of His hand.
Fixing my eyes on the Perfecter (Heb.12:2), I desire to do what Peter failed to do here...
he sank because He took his eyes off Jesus and let his worldly thought overwhelm him.
Jesus continues to tell me that nothing is impossible when He is with us and this is what I concentrate on. He calms my anxieties, squashes my fears, and illuminates my journey step by step.
It is faith, not sight that directs me. (2 Cor. 5:7).
Matthew 14:28, 29
We have all read this scripture where Peter joins Jesus for a stroll on the Galilee.
The scriptures tell us that the lake was tempestuous, with high winds that had kicked up whitecapped waves. The small boat with the disciples on board-without Jesus-was taking the brunt of it.
There are no comments of the disciples recorded here, but I am sure they were not very happy about Jesus making them head out to the other side of the Galilee (Matt.14:22) without Him accompanying them. I'm sure they may have felt stranded, abandoned. They were "up the proverbial creek with a paddle", or so they thought.
Out in the middle of that stormy sea, just before dawn, they see something, or someone-walking across the waves! Thinking with their natural, unbelieving minds they surmise it's a ghost, but then they hear the voice of the Shepherd! How could it be ? After all, aren't they in the middle of this body of water that has a 33 mile circumference? But Peter calls to Him: "Lord, if it's You, bid me to get out of ths boat (paraphrased) and come to you on the water!" Jesus says."Come!" and as his astounded companions watch, he throws comfort and convention to the wind, swings his legs over the side, fixes his eyes on Jesus and does the seemingly impossible.
I find myself getting "out of the boat", maybe even being thown out of the boat,to be totally honest, out of the established comfort zone, jettisoned from my Egypt, my Ur... I'm headed down (or up) a new path that is directed by faith, not the convention or wisdom of the world.
It is the voice of my Shepherd that guides me and I reach forward to grab hold of His hand.
Fixing my eyes on the Perfecter (Heb.12:2), I desire to do what Peter failed to do here...
he sank because He took his eyes off Jesus and let his worldly thought overwhelm him.
Jesus continues to tell me that nothing is impossible when He is with us and this is what I concentrate on. He calms my anxieties, squashes my fears, and illuminates my journey step by step.
It is faith, not sight that directs me. (2 Cor. 5:7).
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