Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
July 15, 2023
Matthew 14:22-33
22 Then, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go to the other side of the lake while he dismissed the crowds. 23 When he sent them away, he went up onto a mountain by himself to pray. Evening came, and he was alone. 24 Meanwhile, the boat, fighting a strong headwind, was being battered by the waves and was already far away from land. 25 Very early in the morning, he came to his disciples, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified and said, “It’s a ghost!” They were so frightened they screamed. 27 Just then, Jesus spoke to them, “Be encouraged! It’s me. Don’t be afraid.” 28 Peter replied, “Lord if it’s you, order me to come to you on the water.” 29 And Jesus said, “Come.” Then Peter got out of the boat and was walking on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when Peter saw the strong wind, he became frightened. As he began to sink, he shouted, “Lord, rescue me!” 31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him, saying, “You man of weak faith! Why did you begin to have doubts?” 32 When they got into the boat, the wind settled down. 33 Then those in the boat worshipped Jesus and said, “You must be God’s Son!”
Good Morning, Let all who have breath praise the Lord!
Where should our focus lie in this passage? We often focus on the disciples in the boat being fearful or on Peter’s lack of faith when he begins to sink into the water. I believe this is one of those passages we must step into with both feet. i.e., Are you ready to get your toes wet?
What if you were on a small boat that was being tossed and battered all night? It is most likely that even the most experienced seamen or fishermen would be frightened. For me, my fear would be greater because of the darkness. This was a time before battery-operated devices, and there were no lights dotting the shore in the distance. I imagine complete, utter darkness and exacerbated by the wind and rain pummeling the boat. Our brains do interesting things in times such as this. Many have hallucinations when in such peril, so the thought of seeing a ghost or aberration is not so unlikely. If we consider the alternative choice, a person walking towards them on the water, which would be “impossible,” a ghost seems a likely scenario.
Then there is Peter’s part in the story. Peter is a bit bold in his response. 28 Peter replied, “Lord if it’s you, order me to come to you on the water.” Jesus calls his bluff and commands Peter to come. I think it takes great faith to step out of the boat. Next, he actually begins to step forward and walk on the water. Of course, when he realizes the absurdity of this, he begins to sink and becomes frightened as he sinks into the rough water. If we were Peter, would we even stand up or sit staring at Jesus’ request in disbelief?
Yes, with Jesus, we can weather all the storms in our lives, but most of us must learn to crawl before we can walk. Many of our success stories begin with failure, followed by slowly building up to success. Within that building process, we often lose focus and take a few steps back, but with each challenge, we become stronger and slowly grow into the one we were born to be.
When I read this passage, I have to consider where I am on my faith journey today. Am I cowering in the boat with the disciples, brave enough to ask Jesus to call me forward, or ready to step out of the boat and walk to Jesus?
Loving God, we thank you! Wow! You call us to do things that scare us. Help us grow so that we might follow you wherever you lead us. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: I can weather any storm by focusing on God.
Are you ready to take the risk and step out of the boat? Pastor Liz
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