Dear Precious Friends,
I love todays scripture and image. In fact I named my Boutique Walk on Water because it means so much to me to share the story of my life and how God pulled me out of the dark, deep fear I was walking through 16 years ago and all the miracles Jesus performed to pull me out of the storms of life... and how He continues to faithfully pull me out when I don't fix my eyes on Him. He does this for all of us... when we keep our eyes on Him.
How many times are the words “do not be afraid” uttered in Scripture? Believe it or not, variations of that phrase appear 365 times in the Bible—one for each day of the year. It’s no coincidence. God knows your fear and my fear just as He knew how terrified Peter and the disciples would be and remember... this happened right after the feeding of the 5,000 plus!!! Are you kidding me... after they witnessed this miracle, Jesus sent them out in a stormy sea.... WHAT???? That does sound just like us!!!
Jesus knew His time was getting shorter before He would leave them... I can't help but think of myself in this story and all the times I have doubted and filled with fear after the unbelievable storms of life. Jesus perceived His disciples’ fear in that boat upon that stormy sea. He could hear Peter’s pounding heart. He read the thoughts that must have been racing through the disciples minds. He understood that despite witnessing one of the greatest miracles in the history of the world… the feeding of five thousand people… they were going to doubt and let their fear cloud their faith. Even after all they’d seen, belief wasn’t going to come easily or naturally to them.
Similarly in our lives, God knows that despite the many blessings, the many gifts He showers us with, we’re always going to find something to be afraid of or some excuse to quiet the voice He’s placed within us. We can easily fill our minds with doubts that will make us question and in some cases, dismiss the message He wants us to share. There will always be a reason to run and a shadow in which to hide.
It’s impossible, however, to outrun His watchful eye and gentle hand. As fast as we try to run to a safe place, God’s not a God who gives up easily. He is jealous for us.
He yearns to hear that beautiful voice of ours resound through the song of our life. No one else in all of history sounds like we do. No one else is here to play our part.
Despite knowing every single thing we’ve ever done or ever will do, every single thought we have thought or will think, He passionately pursues us. Even when there is an ocean between our heart and His, He will tame every tempest, wave, and current to hold your heart close to His. He sustains us in the storm; and in our darkest, most pitiful or agonizing moments, His grace is enough. His grace is perfected in us when we are at our weakest. Our shortcomings attract His perfection. Even our fallacies shine a spotlight on His strength, love, and perfect salvation.( Excerpt from Natalie Grant.. Finding your voice)
I have to think that Peter knew all of this. He stood by Jesus’ side for years, he heard Him preach countless times. He had heart-to-heart talks by the fire with the man who broke his fishnets with His abundant provision. Peter was as close to Jesus Christ as any human being in history.
Perhaps all of those things came together in that one perfect moment of faith when Peter defied the wind and waves and threw his leg over the boat. In spite of his friends’ warnings and his own knowledge of the ocean and sailing, which probably told him it wasn’t smart to hop out onto the water. At that moment, none of that stood against his God. Nothing could pluck him from the loving, firm, eternal embrace of his Savior.
So he walked on water too.
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. — Matthew 14:28-29
What a moment: The perfect love of our perfect Savior so fully came alive within you that you literally stood on the sea, eyes locked on Jesus... and he trusted so deeply He got out of the boat, in the storm....
He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?.. when he cried out to Jesus to save him, Jesus saved him!
OH HOW MUCH THIS SEEMS TO BE OUR STORY! RIGHT????!!!
Peter’s moment didn’t last long, but he got out there! He got out of the boat. When he fixed his eyes on Jesus he walked on water... as soon as he looked at his circumstances and became afraid, He sank... yet he still cried out to the Lord.. and the Lord saved him!!!
What is He calling us to do today? Despite the storm we may be in, we are either in a storm, coming out of a storm or waiting for a storm... How can we be storm proof??? Keep our eyes on Him. Know Him, Receive His love and His supernatural power. There is nothing we can't do through Him. In my own strength I could never do the things He has called me to do... But In Him we are unstoppable to do the things He has called us to do....
Who will join me in fixing their eyes on Him despite the storms of life? By ourselves, we can’t do “the impossible”. However, if we rest on Jesus, or have faith in Him He will enable us to do above and beyond what we never thought we could. AMEN!!
