“But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30)
Puerto Rico. My first vacation since before the pandemic and subsequent thyroid cancer. Palm trees, saltwater, and piña coladas. I am grateful to God, my Healer.
So I decided yesterday morning to snorkel alone. One thing about me—I have a bit of a phobia with deep water. However, this area was shallow, protected from the open waves by stone structures left over from the colonial period.
Feeling brave…I went for it! YOLO, right? It was gorgeous. Tiny, striped fish zig-zagged through the seaweed. Long silver fish shimmered in the sunlight. I felt a chill.
Out of the blue, I couldn’t see so well anymore. I realized that I was a far way out, near the outer limits. Alone. I suddenly became aware of my breathing…in and out…as breathy as Darth Vader, not an ounce of the confidence.
I swim well. Surely, I could make it back to shore easily. Yet, intrusive thoughts battled my logic. “One can drown in a teaspoon of water,” was a particularly unhelpful (and likely untrue) statement that helped ensure my panic.
So I prayed. I made my way back. My heart pounded. Energy sapped from my body as I aggressively paddled to shore.
I flipped onto my back. The sun beamed down in waves as the cool water hit the back of my head.
I breathed deeply. In and out. My heart rate returned to normal. I slowly floated on my back all the way back to the beach and waddled in. I felt sheepish, silly for panicking minutes before.
And then I thought of Peter. He saw the Lord walking on water toward the disciples on the Sea of Galilee. It was actually Peter’s idea to join Him.
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” (Matthew 14:28)
I’ve always wondered what inspired Peter to jump out of the boat. Excitement? Curiosity? Nevertheless, it took some guts. In fact, he was the only disciple out of the twelve to try it.
However, the event did not proceed flawlessly. Peter saw the wind and began to sink (Matthew 14:30).
I get it-I noticed my surroundings, the murky waters, and the panic set in. I lost my cool. Without a doubt, I do this in non-aquatic situations as well.
But Peter did something right. He called out to Jesus to save him. And Jesus immediately reached out His hand and caught him (Matthew 14:31).
God will be with us.
“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.” (Isaiah 43:2)
We get afraid sometimes. We are human. But God is there to grab ahold of our hand and pull us out of the deep waters when it happens.
Life happens when we step out of our comfort zone. We were made to grow, to explore, to be fruitful. These things don’t feel safe. But our Father is with us. And He won’t let us drown.
Keep your eyes on Jesus.
“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2).
Jesus said that Peter sank because he doubted. So our goal is to keep our eyes on Jesus. When the wind whips, the waves crash, test results forebode, bills pile-up, tempers flare…keep your eyes on the Lord.
While our eyes are set on God, we remember who truly holds control. This reminds me of when Elisha and his servant were surrounded by an enemy army, the Arameans. The servant was afraid, as anyone would be.
Elisha told him to not fear, because “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” (2 Kings 6:16)
“And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:17)
He controls the elements.
Interestingly, the disciples had already witnessed Jesus’ power over the wind and the waves.
“A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
“He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” (Mark 4:37-39).
Jesus controls the weather. He created the weather. He created the wind, the waves, and the palm trees. Moreover, us, and everything that we know. So we can trust in His ability to help us.
“Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” (Jeremiah 32:17).
If He can calm a storm, He can heal your illness. If He can walk on water, He can guide your career. He can. And He can easily. Take that step out of the boat, and trust.
Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this post, check out El Roi, the God who sees me, or Jehovah Shammah, the Lord is there.
