Walking on water

    Although I have shared on this story before, there is always something to be gleaned from God’s Word no matter how many times we read it.
    In Matthew 14:22-33, we read the story of Jesus walking on the water. Jesus had sent the disciples ahead of him by boat to the other side, while He went up to the mountainside to pray. He saw the disciples struggling to row the boat because of the contrary wind and waves. He decided to go to them walking on the water. 
    Interestingly, the disciples never asked Jesus for His help. He saw their need and chose to go to their aid. God doesn’t always wait for us to cry out to Him. He is there ready and waiting to assist when we need it. The reality is God sees us. We may feel at times as if He is both blind and deaf to our problem and cries for help but He is not. And, when we least expect it, He will show up.
    When the disciples see Him, they initially think that they are seeing a ghost. But He encourages them by letting them know who He is. What I find interesting is the entrance Jesus chooses to make. Let’s face it, it’s a dramatic entrance. No one had ever witnessed someone walking on water before. I believe that Jesus chose to be a distraction to the disciples when He walked on the water. And it worked! The disciples were so distracted by Him that they forgot the stormy weather and their struggle to row the boat. Sometimes, God just wants us to shift our focus to Him and take our eyes off the problem.
    The other thing is, Jesus did not calm the storm first then walk on the water. He wanted their attention while they were in their difficulty, not after it ended. He wanted them to see that He was what was important, not the problem.
    The story goes on to say that Peter told Him that if it was really Him, to let him to come to Him on the water. Peter began walking towards Him on the water. However, when he saw the wind, he began to sink and cried out to Jesus for help. Jesus grabbed him and when they both got into the boat the stormy wind ceased.
    Peter was doing fine until he shifted his focus back to the storm. While we wait, it can be easy to shift our focus back to the problem. Discouragement steps in and we start to sink as we become overwhelmed by the reality of what we are going through. Yet, God wants us to keep our eyes on Him because He is the One to help us successfully navigate what we are going through. 
    God wants to do so much more than just “calm the storms” in our lives. He wants to calm us and give us peace while we go through. He wants us to learn to walk on those rough waters - to strive, to prosper, to keep going, to even stand firm, in spite of how tough things are. That in itself is the real miracle - choosing not to crumble, when everything around us is falling apart. He wants us to be steadfast and immoveable as we stand on His Word, knowing that His Word over our lives will keep and sustain us even in the most turbulent weather.
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God sees you and He sees what you are going through. He may not fix the problem right away, but He will change you in the midst of it and make you stronger and better equipped to handle whatever comes your way.

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