Water Walker

 


The Book of Matthew (written by one of Christ’s disciples), tells a story about a time when Jesus sent his disciples ahead of him across a lake while He stayed back to pray. 

“Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.  When the disciples saw this 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.’” (Matthew 14:25-26)

Now if you’ve read much of the Bible, you know the disciple named Peter was one who could often be impulsive, ambitious, and assertive – and at this point Peter said, “Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water.”

And Jesus said, “Come.”

Then, Peter got out of the boat and started walking on top of the water toward Jesus.  Can you imagine what that would have felt like?  There you are, in the middle of the lake – waves buffeting the boat, and yet you stand up, get out of the boat, and start WALKING ON WATER! 

Yesterday at Amigos for Christ we said “goodbye” to groups from Sacred Heart school in New Orleans, and Kirk of the Hills church in St. Louis.  And while the groups were here – I saw some water walkers…

Water walkers are those people who are willing to “step out of the boat” and do something that does NOT come naturally.  Maybe it is digging a ditch with a pickaxe and shovel, maybe it’s attempting to speak Spanish with someone who is fluent, maybe it is climbing a volcano, or perhaps it’s pruning pitaya trellises, but for those who do it – their world instantly gets a little bigger.

Stepping out of the boat means saying “I can,” even if Satan is whispering “You can’t.”  It requires faith in the promise Jesus made when He said, “Come.” 

Jesus has told us He will be with us always (Matthew 28:20) and that we can trust Him (John 12:44 NLT), so isn’t it about time you got out of the boat?

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