Written By: Kirk Peterson
I always say the enemy knows just how to get me. Fear has
always been his greatest tool he uses against me to blind me of my hope. The enemy can steal my very spirit by using my own fears against me, dragging me down…Though
the enemy can tempt us to fall during our most fierce storms, God can also use
those very same storms to reach out to us!
Clear
Sailing
I was listening to my bible study’s latest lecture about
when Jesus walks on water, and the teaching leader said a couple of great
things that spoke to me…
First, he said, “Even though we are Christians, it doesn’t
mean that it’s clear sailing from here.
Sometimes, God uses trials to help us grow....” I love the way he painted the picture of our
life like that of a sailing ship, there is just something so cool about
painting our life into the very scriptures that we are learning about. The apostles where in the will of God when they listened to Jesus and sailed their
boat out into the Sea of Galilee, but a fierce storm came upon them anyway.
(Matthew 14:22-33) Just like the storm that came upon the
disciples in the Bible, we too will experience fierce storms when we follow
God. Even though we are Christians following
the way, hardships are still going to
come in our lives.
See
Image Here: http://www.paintingyouwithwords.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Sailboat-Sunset-Tungdk3.jpg
Storms
to Reach Us
The second truth I loved from his lecture, was when he
said, “Jesus used the thing that the disciples feared the most, the crashing
waves of the sea and the storm, as a pathway for Christ to reach them.” The disciples were so terrified during the
storm, that they thought Jesus was a ghost as he was walking toward them on the
water. Here were the people that knew
Christ the most here on earth, and
yet fear
blinded them so much to their savior that they thought He was some kind of ghost!
Have you ever had a time in your life where fear griped
your heart so much that you couldn’t see straight? During the worst times of your life, in the
midst of the storm, how hard it is sometimes to see the rescue that lies just
outside the boat...?
Many of the disciples were fishermen, and the crashing
sea and waves amongst the storm was surely a familiar fear to many of them. Jesus spoke to them saying “Don’t be afraid,
take courage for I am here.” How many
times in the Bible does God tell us those same words, do not be afraid for I am
with you?
Two of the most significant ways God has taught me
something about my life, has been in the midst of storms. As my pastor likes to say, “My faith changed
the trajectory of my life”, when I first
believed in Christ and when the Lord taught me that life is not about myself
but others. It might be a hard prayer to
ask your savior, but getting humbled in life brought me to the
place that Jesus calls all of us to as part of His family in the Kingdom, being
meek and poor in spirit--but it is there that God gave me new truths that has
transformed my life!
Just like when Peter fell during the storm and Jesus rescued
him from the waters, our Lord and savior will always be here for us
when we are in the middle of the storms in our own lives. Have you reached out to Jesus when you need
Him most? Have you cried out for rescue
when the waters are closing in around you?
What do you need rescue from today?
Storms
build Faith
I love how one of the other children’s leaders put it
during his lesson, “Peter had enough faith to get out of the boat and walk on
water…are you willing to get out of the boat?”
When Peter fell during the storm he cried out to his Lord for
rescue. Can you imagine the faith Peter
had to be willing to step out on the water?
We don’t know for sure how Peter and Jesus got back into the boat, but I
believe the Spirit has told me that Jesus pulled Peter up out of the waters,
and walked with him hand in hand on the water back to the boat. The Spirit tugs at me seeing that awesome
picture of our Savior walking with us through the storm, when our faith has
failed us and we are lost, empowering us by His mighty hand to rise above the waves
and back into the boat.
Peter was to be the leader of Christ’ church. Can you imagine the unshakable bond that was
created between Jesus and Peter after the storm? How encouraging it must have been for Peter
during all the trials and hardships he would face in being the first leader of Christ’ church, to have that experience to look back on. When was a time you can look back on where
God rescued you? Are you in the middle
of a storm now needing rescue?
See
Image Here: http://beginningandend.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Praying-Defnding-the-Christian-faith-e1349305115650.jpg
Believe
After everything the disciples had seen Jesus do: raising
the dead back to life, healing the deaf/mute/blind/lame, casting out demons,
preaching to the hearts of all people ….it wasn’t until they saw Jesus walking
on water that they believed Jesus was the Son of God. Many of the prophets of God all throughout
the Old Testament had the Spirit of God upon them and where able to do the miraculous…but
it wasn’t until the apostles saw this
miracle that they believed in the divinity of Jesus as God in flesh.
When was your tipping point when you finally took a leap
of faith and believed in Jesus? When was
it when you finally believed in something that you could not see? Here the disciples got to see the majestic
power of God walking in peace toward them, using the very thing they feared
most as a pathway to reach them. How has
God reached out to you? Do you need to
take a step of faith like Peter did?
Bible
Study
Up until I studied Matthew 14, my favorite story in all
the Bible was when Jacob wrestled with God and after reconciled with his
brother...but now, with everything the Spirit showed me in studying the lesson
this week on Matthew 14, my very favorite story in all the Bible is when Jesus
walked on water!!! I encourage all of you
reading this to seek out a Bible Study in your town, for I believe the hope of
the American church lies in detailed Bible study and I know that God has used
it to change my life forever!
Jesus Walks on Water
22Immediately after this, Jesus insisted
that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the
lake, while he sent the people home. 23After sending them home, he
went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.
24Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a
strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. 25About
three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the
water. 26When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were
terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” 27But Jesus
spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take
courage. I am here!” 28Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really
you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” 29“Yes,
come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on
the water toward Jesus. 30But when he saw the strong wind and
the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. 31Jesus
immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little
faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” 32When they
climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.33Then the disciples
worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed. (Matthew
14:22-33, NLT)
May you have peace in Christ. Though
you will have many trials and sorrows, take heart for Jesus has overcome the
world!
See
Casting Crowns “Voice of Truth” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcuiuIwtpa4
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