Walking on water

Christian life is not just keeping our heads above the water but its walking on water. 

In Mathew 14:22-23, we read about an amazing miracle of how Peter walked on the water. The scriptures tell us that the disciples were on a boat and was "buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it."  There was a great storm. Jesus then appears on the waters and at Peter's request, He beckons Peter to come to him. The rest is history in the making.  Peter becomes the first man, other than Jesus, to walk on the water. Unfortunately most of the time we only emphasis the fact that Peter sank.

Can you imagine, there were waves all around, the wind was strong and buffeting the boat, the other disciples were reeling in fear. But there was one man who took the bold step of faith and was able to conquer all odds. He walked on water, while the others were trying to keep their heads above it. 

That's how our Christian life ought to be. In the midst of every kind of storm, we should be able to walk on the waters, not just struggle to keep our heads dry. "We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus". Jesus said in John 10:10 - "My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." [NLT] . Not just life but abundant life. 

What made Peter to walk on the water? I can see three factors:

  • Foresight.   Peter did not ask the Lord to calm the wind and the waves. I would have thought that would have been the first concern. How do you expect to walk on water if the sea is so boisterous? But after seeing Jesus, the wind and the waves did not seem to bother him. He was more interested in walking on the water than be concerned with the tumultuous situations around him. It is as if Peter was saying, winds and the waves are part of live's journey. One of the main mistakes evangelists today make is  that they tell people that when they come to Jesus all their problems will disappear. Jesus never said that. In fact Jesus said in John 16:33 - "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." You and I need the foresight to accept the fact that trials and temptations are part of this world in which we live in. But that does not mean that we dwell in them. We can still walk on the water even though the others get drowned by it. That's the difference between a christian and the rest.

  • Faith.   It took Peter a bold step of faith to put his right foot forward. Peter had faith on the words of Jesus. It only mattered what Jesus said. The circumstances are secondary. What he thought an what others thought were immaterial  Does not matter how terrible the situations are. As long as Jesus had said it, he was willing to put his life on it. In life's storm, Jesus had promised to  " never leave us or forsake us". The Bible has so many scriptures to assure us that God will be with us in all situations. The question is, are we willing to put our faith and trust on God's word.   If we can trust God's Word, that is the first step in walking on water. 

  • Focus.   Peter walked on water because he kept his focus on Jesus. The sinking began when the focus was shifted from Jesus to the surroundings. But as long as Peter had his eyes on Jesus, he was able to walk on water. In life, as we know, there are so many things to distract us. Our family  our career, our friends and the list goes on.  The secret to keeping walking over all these circumstances is to keep our focus in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul was another great example. In spite of his chains, the imprisonments  the beating and the sufferings, he was still able to rejoice and encourage others to do so because his focus was Christ. That is why he was able to say in Phi 3:8 - "What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things."

You can walk above your circumstances. You can live the abundant Christian life. Keep your faith and focus on the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything else appear small.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Remembering Sis Jenima Sharma - A tribute

Image
Sis Jenima went to be with the Lord on 14 Nov 2024, after battling with  Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) for some time.  This is our tribute to her. It was in 2008, when I first met Sis Jenima, the wife of our Bishop Samuel Sharma. It was during our first trip to NE India, Jaigaon in particular. We were there to conduct a pastors' conference at the bidding of Bishop Samuel who had attended the Haggai Leaders' Experience in Singapore a few months earlier. This was the beginning. She was demure, quiet, hardly spoke a word in English. But she was extremely hospitable and genuinely kind. At that time they lived in a very simple house, with hardly any furnishing, all because of the call of God upon her life to serve the Master.  But one thing was certain. She loved the Lord, her husband and her two young children. She always wanted them to serve the Lord all their lives. She was a remarkable woman whose life reflected the love and grace of God in every aspect.  He...
Read more

Devotion - Psalms 44: 6-7 - Its God who gives the victory

Image
Psalms 44:6-7 - I put no trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame. Any soldier will know that the basic weapon of warfare, in those days, were the bow and sword. Without which no soldier will not venture into the battle field. Even the famed Goliath was geared in full battle order when he faced David with the stones and the sling. Isn't it a paradox then that David, one of the finest soldiers Israel had ever produced, proclaims that its not the bow and the sword that gives the victory. Its is the Lord, Jehovah, that gives the victory. I don't think David is trying to say that we should not prepare ourselves for warfare. His concern is that we recognize that ultimately its the Lord that gives the victory. A few things we need to remember: Human efforts are necessary in the God-man partnership Human efforts alone does not guarantee God intended results Recognize that its God that always gives u...
Read more

25th Wedding Annivesary - Silver Jubilee

Image
11-1-11 - 25th Wedding Anniversary. Today my wife and I celebrate our Silver Jubilee, 25 years of being married together. How time flies. I look out of the window, the weather reminiscent of the day we got married. It was raining the whole day and so is today. How appropriate. Praise God for His faithfulness in our lives and for the blessings He has given us. Lam 3:22-23 - Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. It has been a wonderful journey. Yes there were disagreements, quarrels, desperation and even "fights" but through it all, our love has grown stronger for the Lord , for the family, for the ministry and for one another. Jeya has been the magnet that holds our family together. Almost three months in a year I am out of country for ministry and kids busy in school. But she has always been the inventory holder that keeps reminding of the things that needs to be done an...
Read more