The boat in this story can represent so many things such as false security, comfort, doubt, complacency, unbelief, fear, laziness, dread, procrastination, insecurity, pride, and carnal reasoning. Jesus is standing outside of all of our boats silently hoping we will ask Him for...
Have you ever wondered what you could do to put a smile on God’s face. I use to think it was good deeds. I thought every time I bought someone a meal or visited someone in the hospital that I was making God proud. I have discovered over the years through the studying of the Bible that there’s only one thing that pleases God and it’s not our good deeds or sacrificial giving. Faith alone pleases God and without faith, the Bible says, it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). It is the faith behind our good deeds that pleases God.
“‘And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus’” (Matthew 14:28-29).
There is absolutely nothing impossible for a person when their faith is in God’s Word. In the fourteenth chapter of Matthew, we see Peter requesting for Jesus to call him out on the water. It was Peter’s desire to do the impossible. He wanted to walk out to Jesus on the water but knew he needed a word from Jesus to stand on if he was going to be successful. I’m sure Jesus was impressed with Peter’s request to step out on the water. I wonder if this was the first and only time someone had given Jesus a request like this? So, Jesus’ response to Peter’s courageous request was “Come!” As soon as Peter received this word from Jesus he stepped out of the boat and walked on water. Wow!
The boat in this story can represent so many things such as false security, comfort, doubt, complacency, unbelief, fear, laziness, dread, procrastination, insecurity, pride, and carnal reasoning. Jesus is standing outside of all of our boats silently hoping we will ask Him for the impossible. Jesus longs for our faith to be placed in His Word’s ability to hold us up on top of the water and not in the ability of our fragile old boats. It was Jesus’ word “come” that served as Peter’s firm foundation for him to walk out on. When Peter fell in the water it wasn’t Jesus’ Word that failed him it was Peter’s faith in Jesus’ Word that failed him. We find Jesus’ grace in operation as Jesus was there to lift Peter up when his faith dropped him.
Listen, do you want to please God? If so, trust His word over your five senses. Trust His Word over the negative medical diagnosis. Trust His Word over the lack you see when you look at your bank account. Trust His Word over people’s opinions of you and your dreams. Trust His Word! God’s Word can’t fail you. You can have and experience what has been impossible to others if you would only dare to Ask, Believe, Step Out, and Stay Focused on Jesus. And don’t worry about your faith failing you as you're out on the deep waters because Jesus will always be there with His grace to lift you up and empower you to keep moving forward.
Blessings,
B. Burnam