Matthew 14:30 says:
“But looking at the windstorm, Peter got afraid and started to sink.” What Peter needed was faith, not fear. But when he focused with its wind-whipped, crashing waves, he became afraid. He lost his focus on Jesus, the one who could keep him from sinking.
In this series, we launch into an ocean of faith by asking the question “Will You Walk The Water With Christ?”. The Apostle Peter’s heart raced when in answer to this question Jesus held out his hand and invited him to step out of the boat onto unstable water and a violent windstorm. Peter walked on the water until he took his eyes and his mind off of Jesus and focused on the chaotic seas all around him then he started to sink.
When he saw the Lord coming he called out to Jesus. The Bible tells us “he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me” (Mark 10:46- 47)! Then he heard the voice of Jesus calling him to his side and immediately responded. What happens next is a message of hope for you and your family. Faith is trust in God. Faith is not a power that once acquired you can do anything. No! Faith is about a relationship with Jesus. As we learn to trust Jesus more with our lives, our faith increases. More relationship with Jesus, more trust in him, more faith in our hearts. When Peter realized it was truly Jesus walking on the water near their fishing boat, he said, Lord, since it is you “tell me to come to you on the water “Come,” Jesus said” (Matt 14:28-30). In other words, Peter trusted and loved Jesus with all his heart and that was his motivation to get out of the boat. Peter’s faith came through his trust in Jesus. He knew Jesus as a friend and his Lord. The message is for those who feel a bit weak in faith is that …
“The walk of faith is a growing relationship with Jesus.”
As we study Peter’s water walking experience we find that even when we walk by faith, there are many temptations to take back control of our lives from the Lord. On board a sinking vessel it was “every man for himself.” Or don’t look for help from anyone but yourself. When the storms of life strike, there is the temptation to think “I must take care of myself and my family.” For Christians, Jesus Christ is always there for us. So continue your “Walk On The Water With Jesus” and never doubt that if we trust him enough to put one foot in the water he will help us with the other one and never let us sink.
