Dailies
–in His Word
Day
30
When I was a child I was learning
to swim, tread water around the edge at a neighbor’s pool that my family was visiting.
I would grab the edge then push myself 6 inches away and swim back. At one
point I was too far out to grab a hold of the edge, or so I thought. I, like
Peter in the scripture below, panicked and began to sink. I could see my dad’s
friend standing there by the edge as I reached out crying for help. I went down
a third time into the, what I thought was deep water, and his hand reached down
and grabbed my hand. Pulling me up out
of the water to safety I asked why he didn’t help me sooner. He said he thought
I was just playing around.
The
disciples and Jesus had been feeding people all day then he sent them away to
cross the sea in a boat. Meanwhile Jesus went to pray alone. The when he came
back to them it was on the water itself. The men were frightened. Jesus spoke
and Peter was the one who responded. He was ready to test the water.
But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t
be afraid,” he said. “Take
courage. I am here” Then Peter called
to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the
water.”
“Yes,
come,” Jesus said.
So Peter went over the side of the boat and
walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw
the strong[c] wind and
the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.
Jesus immediately
reached out and grabbed him. “You have so
little faith,” Jesus said. “Why
did you doubt me?” Matthew 14: 27-31
This made me think today about
Peter’s faith.
He had faith to believe that it was
Jesus, enough to get out of the boat and walk on the water until it got choppy
and windy. Then he feared, because he doubted. Still Jesus reached out to Peter
to grab him and not allow Peter to perish. I imagine Jesus chuckling and
shaking His head here saying “Why did you not believe spiritually I would have
kept you up? I had you spiritually but you needed that physical hand.”
God is with us, He will keep us
safe but we sometimes need the physical proof as humans. If we have strong
enough faith in God we can do it. The help is there if we need it but God wants
us to be strong and know He will keep us safe through the choppy water if we
just trust that He is there.
Heavenly Father, thank you that you
are there for us to reach out to at any moment in need. Your outstretched hand
is a lifeline when we are weak in our faith. Help us to trust you and believe
you will not allow us to sink. Keep us strong in our faith as we walk on top of
the waves with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Teresa
M. Wilson