Matthew 14:28,29

Matt. 14:28,29, (NLT) Then Peter called to him, "Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water." "Yes, come," Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.

Jesus sent the disciples out on the boat in order to cross over to the other side, and again like once before a storm arose. This time Jesus was not in the boat with them to calm the waters when they thought they were going to die. They had learned that if Jesus was with them they would be safe. But this time Jesus was not with them. The storm was getting bad, it was the middle of the night, all they could think to do was row as hard as they could to get to the shore. Then suddenly they saw a spirit coming for them, was it the angel of death that took the lives of the firstborn in Egypt during the plagues? Was the angel of death now coming for them? They were not thinking clearly, this was a time of stress, they were tired and scared, and there was someone or something moving, walking on the water. That would be enough to freak anyone out. They had to be thinking, why did Jesus send us out on this boat? “We must be about to die.”

When fear reached the stage of hopelessness, Jesus tried to reveal Himself to them, coming to their rescue, but they didn’t recognize Him. Jesus called out to them and told them not to be afraid. He tried to tell them to have courage, I am on my way! In the storm once before, Jesus was right beside them asleep in the storm. This time Jesus wanted to take the storm out of them before He took them out of the storm of life.

They all must have wondered if it really was Jesus or just their imagination. But Peter, impulsive as always, asked Jesus to tell him to come out on the water with him if this was really happening. Jesus didn't say, "Sorry, Peter, but water-walking is Just for Messiahs only." No, he said one simple word: “Come.”

Peter climbed out onto the stormy waves and started walking on the water! But almost immediately after he started, he took his eyes off Jesus and started to regret this crazy idea. “Help me Lord” he shouted, as he began to drop beneath the waves. Immediately Jesus was at his side and lifted him up and walked with him back into the boat.

God calls us to do impossible things by faith. And sometimes, like Peter, we step right out to do them without thinking. And that is when Satan hits us upside the head. Life reminds us that drowning is a real possibility. Although it must have taken a lot of faith for Peter to take that first step out of the boat in the middle of the night with gust of wind and rain knocking him off balance and big waves rolling right
toward him. “What was I thinking?”

What kind of boat did Jesus tell you to get in? It is inevitable, if you are in Jesus’ boat long enough Satan is going to send you a storm. To have faith it is not always a requirement to walk on water. But it is a requirement to keep your eyes on Jesus and recognize His presence coming to your rescue, or possibly He has been beside you all along and you forgot He was there. Don’t let the circumstances make you forget that Jesus is never far away. If you want to walk on water like Peter did, you can. Storms are God’s specialty, claim the promise He made to Peter, “come.” The promise Jesus has always made to us, “come unto me” is ours to claim. If He is on the water, then there is no better place for you to be than there with Him too.

Remember Peter didn’t choose to go on a boat ride on his own. Jesus sent him. Be like Peter and believe you can do the impossible, if Jesus called you to be where you are, but the situation looks impossible, then it is time to do the impossible. It is time to climb out of the boat.

Describe the last storm of life you remember being in? Explain in detail how you responded to the situation? Did your response fall into one of these categories:

1. Did you try to row to the shore to get to safety as quickly as possible?
2. Did you quit and call the coast guard to rescue you out of the boat?
3. Did you ignore the storm and wait it out?
4. Did you forget Jesus was asleep in the boat and wake him up and request He calm the sea for you?
5. Did you say “Take me with you Lord,” please, take me out on the water with you?

Summarize why you think your response to the storm fit into one of these five categories? Or share and summarize your own different category?