Out on the Water

"Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. Matthew 14:29

I love Peter. He wasn’t one who played it safe, except, of course, for that fateful night when he heard the rooster crow. 

With the exception of denying our Lord at His arrest, Peter is probably most known for his brief trek upon the surface of the water. He alone held the privilege of experiencing that miracle. But then again, no one else got out of the boat.

Peter’s stroll on the lake has ignited many faith-filled believers into action over the centuries. Citing his example, eager disciples leap from their safe circumstances and plunge into the water to trust God for their miracle just like Peter did. Sometimes they get it. Sometimes they don’t.

Have you ever taken a leap of faith that didn’t result in the outcome you expected? Has it left you doubting God’s faithfulness?

We often miss a vital part of Peter’s story, an action he took that we commonly overlook. Before Peter took one step out on that water, he asked Jesus to command him to.

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” Matthew 14:28

Jesus responded with one word, “Come,” signaling to Peter that his journey upon the water was within His will.

Peter didn’t just leap in faith hoping Christ would catch him. He first sought the Lord’s permission. Then he stepped out in faith in direct obedience to Jesus’ command.

We would be wise to follow Peter’s example. Many times, we just jump out on the water without ever bothering to ask God if He’d like us to. Instead of witnessing God’s miraculous provision, we end up in over our heads.

God’s promises flow into our lives when we position ourselves within His will. We express true faith when we walk in obedience to His direction, not when we author our own plans and assume He’ll join us in them.

Do you recall Jesus words from John 10:27?

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."

Peter knew Jesus would meet him on the water because He gave him His consent to proceed. Supernatural power flows at the Word of the Lord, not just because we desire it to. We must seek our Lord’s direction and follow Him into His will if we want to experience His power.

Perhaps that raises an unsettling question for you. If you have sought God’s will and stepped out in faith but didn’t get the outcome you expected, does that mean your actions were not within His will?

Consider Jesus’ words to the disciples of John the Baptist in Matthew 11:6,

“Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”

Jesus’ words came in response to a question John posed from a prison cell, “Are you the one who was to come or should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11:3)

These are surprising words considering John was the one who announced Jesus to be the Messiah.

. . . John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29

I guess prison walls have a way of obstructing our view. He had been so certain God had spoken (John 1:32-34) and had freely yielded himself to His service, yet he found himself in circumstances he couldn’t explain. They didn’t make sense if Jesus was really all He claimed to be, and so his certainty faded to doubt. And Jesus responded,

Blessed is the one who does not fall away when I don’t act in the way he expects.

When you have sought God’s will and stepped out full of faith in obedience to His call, you needn’t fear. Even if, for a time, things don’t look like you expected them to, He is still exactly who He claims to be. One day, all will be revealed. Until then, your job is to trust. And according to Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:6, that trust will find its way to a blessing.

Don’t allow fear to keep you watching from the sidelines. Choose to live like Peter. Seek the Lord’s direction and step out of the boat in obedience to His call. But if the outcome of your faith falls short of your expectations, heed Jesus’ words and don’t fall away. Eventually, your faith will result in blessing.