Sunday, October 29, 2017

October 29, 2017

"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. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" Matthew 14:28-31

The ultimate result of thinking out of the boat for Peter was that - well, he got out of the boat! Once he realized that it was Jesus Who was coming to Him on the water he wanted to be with Jesus. The storm had not kept Jesus from getting to them, why should the storm keep him from Jesus? So when Jesus called Peter to get out of the boat - he did!

Peter stepped out of the boat and onto the storm-tossed waves and began walking on the water. Only two people I know about that ever walked on water. One of them was Jesus and the other was Peter! That is pretty select company, eh?

We don't really know how far Jesus walked over the waves but HE DID WALK ON WATER! He was so focused on getting to Jesus that he focus on the Savior rather than the storm.

Somewhere between where Jesus was and where the boat was, Peter momentarily took His eyes off of Jesus and began to sink under the waves.

What caused him to sink under the waves that He had just been walking on? Jesus identified the reason as doubt. But was it doubt in Jesus that brought him down or was it doubt in his own inability to walk on water?

I guess in the final analysis it really doesn't which it was, the fact remains he walked on water while He kept his focus on Jesus. But the moment he focused more on the storm and less on Jesus he went from being a walker to being a swimmer.

That brings us to our next Lake Lesson - When you are in the storm stay focused on Jesus! focusing on Jesus is the difference between being IN the storm and being ON it!