Verse: Matthew 14:22-36
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” 34 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36 and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
Devotion:
Ok, stick with me here. I know it’s a lot text today. Have you heard this story before? It’s one of my favorites. I can definitely picture myself responding like the disciples in fear screaming there was a ghost!
The theme of this passage is faith vs fear. The disciples find themselves caught in a storm, surrounded by winds and waves. When they see Jesus walking on water, their first reaction is fear, believing Him to be a ghost. Jesus calls out reassurance to them, but it’s still not enough for Peter. He tests Him further and challenges Him to call Peter out upon the water too. Even though Jesus does so, as soon the storm kicks up again, Peter lets fear take over and cries out to Jesus to save him.
I wish this wasn’t so relatable. But, first, how often do we find ourselves in the midst of the storms of life? It looks different for all of us, but we all have our own versions of our winds and waves. In these moments, it’s so easy for fear to become overwhelming. We can become so fearful that it obstructs our view of Jesus. It can become so loud we can’t hear His voice. Then, when He reaches in and rescues us, we are STILL so quick to respond the same way again! I just experienced several years filled with health problem after health problem. It felt like each appointment lead to a new diagnosis. Over and over again, God drew me near, helped me find peace, helped me find doctors who didn’t give up, and helped me find treatment that worked for me. Did that stop me from anxiety spiraling each time it occurred? Nope, call me Peter. While He was performing miracles, I was still screaming for Him to save me because I allowed the wind and waves to block out His voice. Just maybe you’re a little something like Peter and I. When we have a clear line of sight with our eyes fixed on Jesus, we can walk out in faith, but as soon as our focus shifts, fear creeps in and we begin to sink.
But, catch this, Jesus’ response to Peter is gentle yet firm: “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” His question isn’t just a reprimand; it’s an invitation to understand that faith is not the absence of fear but the choice to trust in Jesus despite it. We all have moments of doubt, but in those moments, we can cry out to Jesus, just as Peter did. We can choose to cling to His voice and keep our eyes fixed on Him, despite the broken world around us fighting to pull our focus away.
Friend, we are not alone in this struggle. God saw it coming. Even the disciples experienced paralyzing fear. We can choose to declare “truly You are the Son of God”, just as they did. We can reach out and touch the edge of His cloak, believing His power. He is here with us and wants us to choose Him, today and every day. Don’t lose faith because of the storm, fix your focus and cling to Him, because He cares for you and wants to meet you, right where you are in the storm.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for being with us in the storms of life. Help us to recognize Your presence and to hear Your voice when fear tries to take hold. Teach us to step out in faith, trusting in Your goodness and sovereignty. When doubts arise, help us to remember that You are always there to catch us. Strengthen our faith, Lord, that we may walk confidently toward You, and may our lives reflect Your glory to those around us. Amen.
Author: Becca Artymenko
Recent Comments