Walking on the Water

[Cinnamon-mom]

This morning my reading was in Matthew 14:22-33.

²² Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. ²³ And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. ²⁴ But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
²⁵ Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. ²⁶ And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
²⁷ But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
²⁸ And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
²⁹ So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
³¹ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³² And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
³³ Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God."

As I read this, this morning, I couldn't help but think about how this portion of scripture deals with the potential we have to grow in faith. I mean as Christians we already believe that He is the Son of God, we are convinced of that. But do we limit our faith to that? If He is the Son of God, what is He capable of? What can He do? What can we do when we put our eyes on Him?

If I were in that boat, it would have never occurred to me that I could ask Him to command me to come to Him on the water. I don't think I would have even asked that. Or expected Him to say yes. I realized that I limit God, just because my prayers are not big enough. I can't walk in the miraculous if I don't pray for the miraculous.

Another thing I noticed is that, when we do take that first step of faith, and step out of the boat we need to expect fear. It is not just scary to take that first step, but it is also scary to continue to walk in faith on top of the water. We can't give up. We can't take our eyes off of God and put them on our circumstances or else we will sink. This is obvious and I have heard this taught many times. It is easy to look around at the choppy waves and focus on the circumstances not the God who controls them. But as I am right now about to step out of the boat and take a step of faith in my own personal life, this really hit home. I need to remember making the decision is not the only moment I will need to exercise my faith, but it is a continual process of choosing to look to Him to sustain me at each moment along the way. Every step can only be taken through His power.

I think one of the best moments in this story is when Peter cried out "Lord, save me!" and IMMEDIATELY Jesus stretched out His hand and caught Him. Immediately. Wow. What security we have to try something insane, even if we sink, we have a hand that immediately catches us. It makes me think of the people who walk the tightrope, and have the harness around their waist. It is still scary, and it still takes focus, but if you do fall you know you won't splatter on the ground.

Jesus lovingly tells Peter, "Oh, you of little faith. Why did you doubt." I can imagine the look on His face. Probably shaking His head and smiling. Letting Peter know that he could have done even more!!!

We have so much potential as Christians, I don't think I even understand it at all. I know as far as how I live my life, there have been so many times God has told me to share something with someone and I have been too scared. He could have done an amazing work in that person's life, and blown my mind in the process. Simon Peter may have been too scared to keep walking on the water, but he was the only one with enough faith to think to try it. He came up with the idea himself. I would never think to do that!!!

There is this huge part of me that wants to live out on that water, with nothing under my feet but my faith in Jesus. But then there is the rest of me, that wants to sit in the boat after Jesus tells the storm to be still and just hang out with Him there ; )

The last days are here. The option of living as a regular Christian the regular life might be over soon. The world is shaking at the core, the economy is failing, pestilence, disease, disaster is all around us and it is getting worse. If there was ever a time for Christians to consider how to walk on the water, it is today. And I think we better start practicing walking in the miraculous, and keeping our eyes set on Him and not fearing the waves.

Peter needed to practice trusting in God too. Eventually this practice gave him the ability to drink the cup that Jesus drank and die the death of the cross as well. Eventually he did honor the Lord, through great faith, even being crucified upside down (not feeling worthy enough to die like his Lord Jesus).

I want to be ready for anything. I want to believe that God can do even more in and through my life. I want to not only sit with the Lord in my cozy house with a blanket, a cup of coffee and a Bible and hear His voice and weep in worship. I want to be able to step out, I want the faith that can call fire down from heaven, stop the rain, give a word of knowledge, pray for healing, pull down strongholds, encourage the weary, contend for the faith, and pour out my life till the end. Eventually, glorifying the Lord in my death.

It isn't about MY faith, it is about WHO my faith is in : )

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1). 

"We live by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7).

"we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18). 

This is a super personal journal, LOL. I might come back and erase it later???

"The more time we spend in the Word of God the better equipped we are to discern the will of God and are enabled to pray with the assurance that His will will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Before we pray we ought to take a good look at our surroundings, and then step forward believing our God is greater than our circumstances, and submit our prayers in faith."

--T. Alexander