Devo 38: Walking on Water

During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, 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."


"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

"Come," he said.

Matthew 14:25-29

Lately, I keep having this picture in my mind of the Lord holding my hand as I am learning how to walk on water. I usually see it at times when I do something He asked me to do that I did not want to do.

He used to only ask me to do those kinds of things occasionally, but it seems that the more I do obey, the more He asks me to do them. Go figure.

I heard Deborah Hiebert speak the other day, and she made a statement that brought a lot of clarity to this season of my life. She said we all get these romantic lovey-dovey feelings when we hear the words “faith, hope, and love,” but she said, “Do we realize that for faith to be in operation, we have to be blind?” For us to truly have faith, we have to have reasons to not believe. Faith is the substance of things not seen (Heb. 11:1).

For us to exercise faith, though, we have to put our trust in the nature of who God is. I am always intrigued by what it was that Peter knew about Jesus for him to ask to come out on the water.

When the disciples were in the boat and saw Jesus on the water, Jesus said, “It is I, do not be afraid!” (Matt. 14:27)

The next statement Peter makes always intrigues me. He said, “If it is you, tell me to come out to you…”

Why would Peter say that? It was as if Jesus asking him to come, identified that it really was Him. Why would Peter trust that it was not a ghost or someone posing as Jesus just based on Him telling Peter to come? What was it about the nature of God that Peter knew it was Jesus? What was it about the nature of God that made Peter want to come out on the water? What was that driving force in Peter that made him desire to do something so dramatic?

Well, I don’t really know, but I can tell you, it makes me hungry. It makes me say, “God, who are you?” I don’t know if Jesus was showing His sovereignty here or His playfulness…maybe it was both, but the point is that He was giving Peter an opportunity to exercise faith. He was giving Him an opportunity to do something where He really had to trust. He took him to a place where He really was blind.

Then, Jesus said, “Come.” What an invitation!

I have begun to see those little things that He speaks to me that I don’t want to do as Him saying, “Come.”

The invitation is blind. It’s dramatic. Yet, something in you is aching to do it. Come on, I know you’ve tried to walk on water before in your neighbor’s swimming pool—you can’t fool me…

One time someone asked Doc Reece at Johnson whether it was normal to have doubts about your faith in God at some point in your walk with Him. Doc answered, “If you do not have any reason for doubt, then you’re not truly exercising faith.”

That’s why God puts us in those situations. At this point, I am not talking about walking on water…yet; but I am talking about those little things He whispers throughout the day. You know—those times where you are not quite sure, but you are, but you aren’t…those times.

For example, maybe you are walking down the aisle at the grocery store, and there is a little whisper in you that says, “Smile at the cashier and tell them that Jesus loves them.” Maybe it is the simple impression that you should call the person that hasn’t been to church in a few weeks. Perhaps, it is praying for someone who has been on your mind all day. Or, it could be something more dramatic, but no matter what it is, it’s an invitation. “Come!”

This week, meditate on faith and what it is. Meditate on the story of Peter, and the stories of Hebrews 11—the “Great Hall of Faith.” Also, put it into practice. Cultivate a listening ear for those little invitations. Start asking Him to give you some. You will be surprised at how He will stretch your faith and at how much you will grow.

Blessings,

Amanda
 
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