Tonight, I was reminded of the story of Peter walking on water and this had me thinking metaphorically about the times we are currently living in 2020. For a second, I ponder and mediated on this story and had to ask myself the question, what version of Peter am I?”
As I give you a brief summary of this story, I ask that you keep this same question in your mind concerning yourself. If you do not know this story of Peter, check out Matthew 14: 22-36 (KJV). But in summary, Peter and the disciples when ahead of Jesus to cross over to Gennesaret by sea. While sailing across, the sea was not pleasant and according to the Bible, it was rather “boisterous”. Jesus appeared walking on the waters of the sea and unto the disciples. And of course, this caught them off guard, and they were rather frightened and filled with fear, but Jesus then asked them to step out of the boat, and none of the disciples moved except for Peter. Initially, Peter’s eyes were fixed on Jesus regardless of how violent the waves and tides were and he was able to walk on water with Jesus. Then after coming to terms with what was happening, Peter started to lose focus and take his eyes off God. Instantly after he did that, he began to sink, but God reached out his hands and rescue him just as he was about to go under water. As soon as Jesus brought him back onto the boat, the sea calmed down, and the storm went away.
With that story in mind, how would you relate to Peter? How many of us can relate to Peter with the things we are facing in our daily lives. Whether it may be COVID-19, sicknesses, personal pressures, relationships, spiritual growth, or financial hardship, we can all relate to Peter in some way. But still the question remains, what version of Peter are you during these storms?
Sometimes, we completely miss the mark like the disciples when we are called out of what may seem like our norm of complacency and not willing to take that proper steps out on faith. Then there are times when we are like Peter, when we realize God’s calling, and we step out on faith and start walking in our purpose in spite of the storm and conditions that surround us. But at some point along the way, we begin to get distracted by our surroundings. We start feeding into our doubts, fears, frustrations, depression, and anxiety because of the lack of faith. We feel stuck and surrounded by our darkness, waves, and the storms of life, which blurs our vision of God. We began to lose God’s purpose and start to sink into the messes that slowly creeps into our minds. BUT GOD!! He is ALWAYS ON TIME AND reaches out his hands and grabs hold of US.
One thing we have to realize is that God will ALWAYS reach his hands out right on time. This is ALWAYS THE TIME WHEN WE NEED HIM THE MOST. Many times, we allow everything around us to fill our minds with doubts and fears, which can cause us to sink. We cannot allow the world around us to drown or even suffocate us. The depression, anxiety, broken relationships, pain, heartaches, joblessness are all there to force us to lose sight of our purpose.
It is essential to keep your focus and your eyes glued on God, believe in his word, and the passion he has instilled in your heart. This storm will not always last, reposition yourself, and believe that God will carry you through to safety. He will quiet the storms and rebuild things in your life that may have been broken. He is capable to restore broken relationships, financial losses, peace, joy, and focus. I pray that everyone who reads this will be encouraged to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and do not doubt the process of what you are going through. Pull yourself up and hold on to Jesus because these troubled times do not last always, weeping may endure for a night, but JOY WILL comes in the morning.
Finally, ask yourself again, what version of Peter are you? Are you the one who can stay focused on God and walk on troubled water, or are you the one that is filled with doubt and on the verge of sinking? Which one are YOU?
Stay encourage and remember to “trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding,” Proverbs 3:5 (KJV). And that we all will overcome by the words of our testimonies. Start affirming you wins over your storms, remaining steadfast in the Lord, and trust in his Words.
Stay blessed,
Closedchapterblog
Amen sis, I oftentimes relate this story to what’s happening in our lives today.
You said it well,may God God continue to use you to encourage hearts.
It was like a revelation to me last night