WATCHWORD:
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” Matthew 14:25-32
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6
Meditation:
Fellow Water-Walkers
The Matthew passage is an amazing story of shaky faith on the part of the disciples. Think about this; they were fresh from the feeding of thousands from virtually nothing, and yet they doubted. They had witnessed healings of lepers, sight and sanity restored. Yet, they doubted. Not only that, but Peter underscores their doubt by saying “if it is you, tell me to come.” They see Jesus walking on water, yet, it’s “if it is you”. Maybe it’s some beachcomber, or perhaps a ghost, maybe it is a figment of their imagination.
So, Peter calls on Jesus to let him come to him on the water, and He does. But after a step or two he gets scared, his faith leaks out, and he panics. “Lord, save me.” Note, Peter calls him “Lord”. He knows who Jesus is, but still he was not all in, he had some tentativeness, some doubt. He did have “little faith”. Darn that Peter!
Oh, wait a minute. Darn, Peter? How about darn you, Stan? Or, how about darn you, reader? How strong is your faith?
At some point in our lives, as Christians, we prayed, “Come, Jesus.” And Jesus came, and as we tried to negotiate the water of difficulty that we walked upon, did our faith waiver? Did we sink and in desperation, call out, again, “Lord, save me”? Water-walking is easy as long as we keep our focus on the Lord. Watch out when we look away.
Mark Driscoll writes that there are lessons to be learned from Peter’s experience. We would agree that one of those lessons has to do with looking for Jesus, and, then, keeping our eye on Him. We are all going through this same storm.
O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
It is not just the turning to Jesus, it is keeping the focus there, moment by moment, throughout each day. Peter took a couple steps before he lost focus and got into trouble. What next step has Jesus asked you and me to take?
I agree with Driscoll when he writes that “Faith unleashes the supernatural” that allows us to go beyond what our human mind might limit us to do. What is holding you back? Fear? Of course, fear can limit us. Peter stepped out of the boat in faith, but fear of the wind and waves sank him.
Have you ever told yourself, “Oh, I could never do that!” With that attitude, you are right. But… Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Yes, there is that, trusting in the Lord in faith and commitment.
I seem to recall something that fits, here: Remember the Prayer of Jabez? And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh, that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested. 1 Chronicles 4:10
What do you think? Should our prayer be to our Lord to bless us, and enlarge our little faith to keep us focused on Him, each step of each day in His honor? I think so. Amen and amen.
Bulletin Board:
Dear God, so far today I have done alright. I don’t think I have sinned. I haven’t gossiped or judged. I haven’s lost my temper, I haven’t been greedy, grumpy or nasty or overindulgent. I am very thankful for that. But, Lord, in a few minutes I will be getting out of bed, and from then on, I’m probably going to need a lot more help. So, Heavenly Father, please be with me as I begin. Amen.
Closing Prayer:
Father, just as You sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus, help me to clear the path in my heart, too. Show me the distractions in my life that block me from all-out worship of You this Advent. Lord, I await Your coming! As I celebrate the first Advent––the first coming––I look toward the day where I will see You face to face. I imagine what it will be like. Give me a heart, Lord, that looks for Your coming on a daily basis. Help me to live my life where I’m constantly seeking Your presence. My offering to You today is my righteous life for I know I am only clean because of Jesus. Show me today how I need to be refined, purified, forgiven. Give me the strength to ask for forgiveness and to then change my ways. Amen.
