Walk on Water

“Jesus walked out on the water, 
said take courage, it is me.  
Peter trusted and he wanted to go further, 
so he stepped out on the sea.  

If I keep my eyes on Jesus, I can walk on water. 
 
Just like Peter I want to go further, 
tread on the sea and walk on the water, 
step where He steps and go where He goes, 
side by side when the sea billows roll, 
it’ll be all right when the wind comes, 
be all right when the waves come crashing, 
I’m not afraid, no, no, 
for this is my Father’s world.”
  
Audio Adrenaline “Walk on Water”

To me, this is the basis of the Christian life. If we keep our focus on Jesus, we are safe. When the sea billows roll, when wind comes, when the waves are crashing -- none of it has the final say if we are intently focused on Him. 

“The boat was by this time out on the sea, many furlongs (a furlong is about 1/8 of a mile) distant from the land, beaten and tossed by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch (between 3:00 and 6:00 a.m.) of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified and said, “It is a ghost!” And then screamed out with fright. But instantly He spoke to them, saying, “Take courage!  I AM! Stop being afraid!”  And Peter answered Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”  He said “Come!”  So, Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and he came toward Jesus.  But when he perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened, and as he began to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me (from death)!” Instantly Jesus reached out His hand and caught and held him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  And those in the boat knelt and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God!”  Matthew 14:24-33 AMP

There are times in my life when I feel like my boat is being tossed by the waves and the wind is against me. When struggles come, it is rarely just one thing – it’s often several at once. What stands out to me in this passage, is that Jesus waited until the 4th watch to go to them. He had been on the shore praying. He knew what were facing and yet He waited. That reminds me we should never give up hope, Jesus will come to us, but in His time, not ours. His timing is perfect, even when we do not understand it. Sometimes He allows us to remain in the storm for a while. 

I don’t imagine the disciples were sitting calmly, waiting for Jesus. I picture them working hard — trying to steady the boat, fighting the wind, doing everything they could to get through the storm on their own. By the 4th watch, they were likely exhausted, worn down from hours of struggle.

Just before this, they had just witnessed a miracle. Jesus feeding 5,000 men, with 5 loaves and 2 fish, with 12 baskets left over! Yet here they were, only hours later overwhelmed by the storm.

When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water, they thought it was a ghost. It didn’t occur to them that it could be Jesus. Jesus called out to them “take courage, it is I. Do not be afraid.

Peter as usual, spoke up. He asked Jesus to call him out on the water and Jesus did. 

 “Peter wanted to go further, so he stepped out on the sea”. I love that. I want to go further too. But it won’t happen from the safety of the boat. The other disciples stayed where they were rather than take their chances on the water with Jesus. It takes trust and faith to take that step, believing that anything is possible when we are in partnership with Jesus.  

When we do muster up our faith and step out of the boat, like Peter we need to keep our eyes on Jesus. We have to hold that focus. If we don’t, the things around us may appear very large and frightening. Peter looked around, he lost his focus on Jesus for just a moment and that’s all it took. He saw the large waves, he felt the strong wind, he was frightened and he began to sink. That’s what happens to us. When we shift our focus away from Jesus even for a moment, we start to sink.  

Jesus is there when we sink. All we have to do is put our eyes on Him, call out, and He will stretch out His hand. For it is a promise that when we seek Him with our whole heart, we will find Him. I find comfort in that.