Come

The waves wrestled each other and the wind blew strongly on the surface of the sea. Peter and the rest of the disciples must have known the sea well, and as fishermen they must have witnessed many nights at sea. But as they looked out beyond all the fierceness of the storm and saw Jesus, they thought He was a ghost and they were afraid. Just then Jesus spoke out and told them not to be afraid. It was Him coming towards them. I guess a sense of relief must have swept over each one of them.

Peter was the one who stepped out into the waters in obedience to the voice he`d heard. `COME!’ I`m sure Peter knew it was Jesus. He`d heard Him speak, so he must have known Jesus` voice.

At first, as He looked at Jesus and started walking towards Him, he must have ignored the waves and the storm, because for a few moments he walked on the water. But Peter suddenly saw the waves, his logic got in the way, and he started sinking. He cried out and saw the hand of Jesus stretched out to rescue Him. Jesus rebuked him for his doubt, but rescued him.

When I look at the event above I can`t help but imagine what I would have done if I was in Peter`s shoes, Most probably I would have preferred the safety of the boat.

Many times we seek to do the will of God, and as we seek Him for direction in our lives we might be faced with a challenge. Maybe the only answer to our prayer for His leading and direction could be the one word Peter heard from Jesus `COME’. Peter must have known the risk he was taking, but he obeyed. Are you willing to obey what the Lord asks of you? Are You willing to take that step of faith and step into the unknown in obedience to Him?

Someone said ‘faith is taking a risk’. It`s believing what you`ve not yet seen. It`s knowing He who`s called you is faithful. He`s able to hold you in the storm. As we look to Him, obey Him and walk step by step into His will, we need to trust that He knows what He`s doing.

It wasn`t all that smooth for Peter. He saw the risk he was taking and he made a mistake. He looked at the waves and let a little doubt in. BUT all along, Jesus was there. Peter, on the other hand, must have thought this was the end of him. For a minute he must have thought the Lord wasn`t going to rescue him, or that he had made a mistake in taking the step into the water. He cried out to Jesus.

Maybe you`ve obeyed Jesus` call and felt you were walking in the right direction, but suddenly fear crept in and you started to wonder whether you`d heard Him correctly. Have you asked yourself "Did I make the right decision? Did I really hear from the Lord?".

Comfort lies in the fact that many times Jesus asked people to do things that were out of the ordinary, such as going around the wall seven times, walking through the sea, speaking to the rock to produce water, and singing praises instead of fighting battles. All we need to do is obey His voice and look to Him. That’s what He asks of us. If we make mistakes, if we doubt and are afraid, remember He`s called us, but never said it would be easy. He doesn`t condemn us. He`s willing to lift us out of the mess and set us back on our feet. He`s nearer than we can feel or imagine.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You`re faithful and when we call to You You answer our prayers. Please help me if I doubt Your direction, if I look to the waves and waver in my belief. Help me to hear Your voice in the turmoil and waves, and to obey You. Help me not to allow the circumstances to make me doubt Your voice or calling. Amen.