His Authority Calms My Storms
His Authority Calms My Storms
“Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds. And after He had dismissed the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
And Peter answered Him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” -Matthew 14:22-33 ESV
I can relate to the disciples in this passage on such a deep, emotional level. Am I the only one?
"In His Sovereignty, I can rest, experiencing peace, and not fear over my surroundings or my future."
There they are in the early morning hours, in the dark, battling a raging sea without their Savior in the boat with them. Although these fishermen are skilled in all things sailing and fishing, I can imagine their hearts are a bit troubled being caught against a harsh tide in the dark.
Although I have attained some basic life skills that would ensure my survival, I find myself battling harsh circumstances that too trouble my heart...and my mind.
When the outer stressors of life grow and evolve, I find my anxiety mirroring that same pattern. My thoughts start to spiral out of control and I am left in a panic.
I feel abandoned and as if I am left to fight this raging sea alone…regardless if I am surrounded by my family and close friends.
Reading on we find that they spot Jesus walking on water, and instantly feel terrified.
Immediately, without hesitation, Jesus calls out to them to NOT BE AFRAID. It is Him. Their Savior. Friend.
This very God-man walking on water is taking dominion over the unforgiving waves that could drown His disciples.
The same Jesus that walked on water, having power and dominion over the forces of nature, has the same power today to take on our own waves that we think will consume us.
We then see Peter gain this holy confidence and challenges Jesus to call him out onto the water to join Him. In boldness and pure faith, Peter walks on water towards Jesus.
And here is where I can relate, again.
As he is walking on water, Peter takes his eyes off of Jesus for a second and shifts towards his surroundings. The overwhelming stimulations of his environment take hold of his mind, and he becomes terrified (been there, done that).
What happens next?
He sinks.
The moment he sinks, he cries out to Jesus for Him to save him.
Immediately (there’s that reaction from Jesus again), He grabs Peter’s hand, and questions why Peter doubted His Savior.
Friend, I am here today as a witness that I have had my “Peter moments” of doubt...and time and time again I am rescued by Jesus when I call out to Him. He doesn’t wait. He immediately rescues my troubled mind from the waging seas of panic I face more often than I’d like to admit.
So many times I have believed that the waves of panic, defeat, rejection, isolation, and judgment will swallow me whole, drowning me. However, it’s in those moments I need to hold on to what’s true: I have the God on my side that not only calls out to me, but also watches my every step- holding dominion over my circumstance in His mercy and grace.
In His Sovereignty I can rest, experiencing peace, and not fear over my surroundings or my future.
I hope you come to learn that we have a forgiving Savior that walks on the very unforgiving waves we believe will drown us. As long as our focus is on Him, we can walk boldly to what He has called us to do, all while keeping our minds at peace. The troubled waves will come, but who/what your focus is on makes all the difference.
Just as Peter was able to do the impossible, we too can conquer the impossible with the power of Jesus.
Challenging you to be a conqueror,