Daily Devotionals

April 17, 2020

Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

 

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

 

But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

 

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

 

“Come,” he said.

 

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

 

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

 

Matthew 14:23–31

There has always been something about Peter that has just spoken to me: he tends to follow a bit more of a “ready, fire, aim” mentality than is good for him. And while he holds a deep and abiding faith in Jesus, to the point where he is the first of the disciples to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, Peter is also the only one of the twelve to deny the Christ. In Peter, we can see an aspect of humanness that resonates with so many of us.

 

In this passage, as soon as Peter realizes that Jesus is walking on water, Peter decides that he wants to be able to join his Lord atop the waves. It just seems natural to him not to be afraid of the storm around him, not to look at the whitecaps that are tossing the boat around, but simply to be near to Jesus.

 

So often, we want to be near to Jesus, to draw into His presence, especially during the times when storms are raging around us, and when we see faint images through the wind and the rain that we cannot quite decipher as a ghost or our Savior. When the voice of the Messiah calls out, “It is I. Don’t be afraid,” we too can act in faith as Peter did; we can step out of our comfortable areas to respond to the call that Christ has placed upon our lives. Even more, though, in those moments when our fears and concerns can overwhelm us, we too can reach out to the hand of our Savior and be pulled back into His embrace.

For Reflection


Where is a place in your life that you have “stepped out of your boat” to do something that was not comfortable for you?
How did you feel in the moment and afterwards?


How is Jesus calling you to respond to His call in your life today?

Prayer


Blessed Lord, we thank You that You seek us, not as fully made people, but as people who still need help on our walk of faith. Give us the fearlessness of Peter to approach You, even in moments where we might falter, to grow into the people You have created us to be.

Rev. Scott Tucker
Pastor for Grand Adults
404-842-3172