Out To Sea

“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!” Matthew 14:30-31

Have you ever gone sailing? I have. I went sailing today, as a matter of fact! I love the feeling of being out on the water – feeling the wind in my hair and the sun on my face. I’m still a relatively new sailor though, so when the wind kicks up, and the boat heels over, I feel a little uneasy until I know that I’ve got the boat back under my control.

Peter was a boat kind of guy. He was a fisherman by trade, and by the sounds of things, he was probably pretty comfortable out on the water for many years before he met Jesus. But one thing I’ve never tried when I’m out on the water, enjoying my time sailing, is just getting out of the boat and walking on the water. But Peter did. When Jesus told Peter to get out of the boat, Peter hopped to it. Wow! That’s an amazing faith! My response would have come straight out of my humanness – it would have been “walk on water?! Out of the boat?! What?! Maybe I didn’t hear that right!” My response would have been out of fear, not faith. Peter had a sense of comfort in the boat – it was where he worked, where he made his livelihood, and where he held a big part of his identity.

What does your boat look like? Is your boat shaped like a cubicle, or maybe a nice corner office, or a car filled with samples, or something else? What if Jesus told you “Come! Get out of the boat!” Would you respond the way Peter responded, and get out of that boat? Peter’s natural response to getting out of the boat was completely quelled when faith got involved. But Peter’s faith only lasted until the wind kicked up. That’s actually interesting, because as a sailor and fisherman himself, Peter relied on the wind to take him to where he needed to fish – when he was in the boat. The wind felt very different when Peter got out of the boat though. He was afraid – not just concerned – but afraid. Hmmm….that’s an interesting thing. I bet that Peter probably experienced a “man overboard” experience at least once in his career – and he was probably a fairly good swimmer because of it. But this time, when Jesus got involved, the unnatural act of walking on water was also coupled with an unnatural fear of falling in the water. A natural response for Peter would have most likely been “I fall in the water – I get myself back in the boat – such is life.” But this time, God’s grace was working on Peter, and his natural courage and strength were gone. He looked to Jesus alone to save him. Have you stepped out of the boat, and then suddenly felt the wind? Were you afraid? Did you feel like you were sinking? I’ve been there. So what’s the good news in all of this? Well, in the end, Peter and Jesus climbed back in the boat – together. Oh, and for the record, Jesus didn’t get in the boat and then fish Peter out of the water, all drippy and everything. Jesus held Peter up on top of the waves, and they got in the boat together. Isn’t it fabulous to know that when our own faith fails, and when we can no longer muster our own human strength, that Jesus holds us up above the waves? I know that I need that kind of a Savior.

Lord, thank you for giving us the chance to experience what it’s like to walk on top of our challenges – as long as we hold onto you. Thank you for calling us to get out of our comfort zones – to get out of the boat. We ask you for supernatural courage to come when you call on us out of that boat, and for faith to keep our eyes on you, even when the wind gusts around us. Thank you for catching us when our faith waivers, and leading us back to safety. We pray this, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Copyright ConnieD. 2011-2012.  All rights reserved.

Originally posted on ProChristianWoman.