The Wind and Waves Won't Sink You; This Will
We often think it's the wind and waves that will sink us. Or the hurricanes or the floods. Or the disease and destruction.
Wrong. Dead wrong.
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Matthew 14, Jesus walks up to the disciples on a boat. In the middle of the rough sea.
Disciples: "It's a ghost! Run away run away run away! No, wait – we're in a tiny boat! Nowhere to run!!"
Jesus: "Nope. It's Me. Don't be afraid."
Peter: "Let me walk on the water too!"
Jesus: "Come on."
Peter does. Peter is EPIC– out of the boat going to Jesus walking on the water (obviously not as epic as Jesus…don't have a cow).
Since Adam and Eve, nobody had ever walked on water, and nobody has done it since. ONLY Peter! And ONLY because he took a great step of faith. I want to be Peter!
But Peter, walking on water – begins to sink. One second he's strolling across the water like it's nothing, the next second he's about to drown. Between those two events, only one thing happened: Peter saw the wind and the waves. He focused on the wind and the waves.
This is so significant! Consider:
- Jesus didn't disappear. He's still right there. In front of Peter.
- Jesus didn't lose His divine power to sustain Peter. He's still God the Son.
- The wind and waves didn't, "just appear." They were there all along.
- The wind and waves didn't, "all of a sudden obtain destructive powers." The power was there all along.
- The wind and waves didn't even increase in intensity.
The only thing that changed? Peter's focus.
Peter quit seeing Jesus, and he began seeing the wind and the waves.
He begins to fear the wind and waves more than he trusts Jesus.
And he sank.
Which leads to a powerful truth:
It's not the wind and the waves that will sink me, it's how I THINK about the wind and the waves.
In this life, it's not the flood that will sink you, or the destruction, or the job loss, or the bad circumstance, it's how you think about that thing.
"That's not true David! There are things you can't control – like storms and floods and hurricanes and disease! And they WILL sink you!"
Wrong.
Even death can't sink the person who has put their faith in Christ. Because they know that death is not the end.
That's why Paul, when dragged out of town, beaten and left for dead, got back up the next morning and went right back into town. That's why (according to tradition) Peter when faced with crucifixion, instead of losing all hope, or begging for mercy, or crying like a four-year-old, asked to be crucified upside down because he didn't consider himself worthy to die like Jesus.
At some point, both Peter and Paul realized that a beating or even death could not sink them – because they were consumed with Christ. They knew that Jesus would sustain them – even through death – and greet them on the other side.
So whether you are taking a giant leap of faith for Jesus, or encountering the wind and waves that we all face living in this world, the goal is to be so caught up in Christ, with eyes so fixed on Him, that…
We
don't
sink.
We keep walking on the water…with Him.
So get out of the boat, walk on the water, and always always always – keep your eyes focused on Jesus. He will never let you let you down and never let you sink.
Jesus said, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:20
Amen amen.
Originally posted at ilikemycoffeeblack.com
