But
Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is
And that is how Jesus wants us to look at our current situation too. He is in your storm, walking on the rough waters right towards you. He is saying to you to take courage and to not be afraid. Peter correctly asks the Lord to command him to come out of his boat, his situation if you will, and to walk above the waves. When Jesus told Peter to come, he was able to walk above the waves and on the water that was threatening him just a few moments earlier. He was looking to Jesus and walking on the water when he made the same mistake we also make:
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Matthew 14: 30
Note that it was not until Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and placed his focus back on his circumstances, the wind, that he began to sink. The same goes for us in our storms. As long as we are looking at the wind and the waves in our life, we too will continue to sink in them. It is only when we keep our eyes firmly focused on God that we can overcome them, through His strength. It is a question of faith:
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" Matthew 14:31
What faith is Jesus speaking to Peter about? The faith that God is working all things out for our good! Peter was called according to the purpose of God. This storm was a test of his faith that he failed but it prepared him for later tests of faith that he would pass. Peter eventually would be the one to give the sermon on Pentecost that would see three thousand saved to Christ! It was storms such as these that prepared him. It is storms such as you are going through, that are preparing you as well.
So God is calling into your desert today beloved. He is saying that He is your way out. He is calling into your wilderness and reminding you that He is always at your right hand; do not be shaken (Acts 2:25). He is the harbor in your tempest; the rest in your storm. Remember that you are called according to his purpose and that He is working all things out for your good. We may not see it or feel it, but by faith we must know it. We must own it in our hearts and weather the storm until Jesus calls us out and then, we must keep our eyes upon Him for he is bigger than our circumstances. God sees your hurt beloved. He is at work; fear not.
Anthony Wade July 10, 2008
