-January 21, 2024-
Good morning beloved, happy Lord’s Day,
“But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?'”
(Matthew 14:30-31).
I appreciate Peter and can relate to him; he got himself into trouble on several occasions, but the Lord was patient with him and delivered him. This incident on the Sea of Galilee was unusual in that Jesus went off to pray and made the disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side. This gave Jesus the opportunity to demonstrate His power in their lives.
When Jesus came to them He was walking on the water. They thought at first He was a ghost. There was a powerful storm on the sea, but Jesus assured them, saying, …Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27). Peter wanted proof that it was Jesus and requested to come to Jesus walking on the water.
He did fine for a moment but then seeing the wind became afraid and began to sink. Hadn’t Jesus just told them not to be afraid? Before we blame Peter too harshly, let us remember how weak our faith is at times. The Scriptures are filled with verses not to fear, still we fear, get anxious, and troubled. Our Savior used the opportunity to teach His disciples a great lesson. Jesus won’t let us sink!
After Jesus saved Peter and the others, they reacted the right way: they worshipped Him. Matthew 14:33 says, “Then those who were in the boat came and worshipped Him, saying, ‘Truly You are the Son of God.'” May the Lord increase our faith in Him. He is the Master of the sea, the Captain of the ship. He calms our storms and gives His peace. There is nothing that He cannot handle. When He says, ‘come’, we must come; when He says ‘go’, we must go. Let us trust our Lord to help us.
Have a blessed Lord’s Day in worship, in the Word, and in fellowship. Stay safe and healthy.
When the sinking feeling comes, come to Jesus,
Dean
Dean Allen's Daily Devotional 