October 9th
But When
Matthew 14:28-31
And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Following Jesus is hard. At times the words of Jesus can be cancelled by our concern. The “But when’s” of life weigh upon us. They cloud our mind and divert our attention from moving forward in our faith. We often find them derailing our devotion. We find ourselves looking at them rather than listening to Him. Doubt ensues, our faith fails and we sink.
In our text, Jesus sent His disciples off in a boat to sail to the other side of the sea. He went up the mountain to pray. It was very late into the night when the wind rose up against the disciples as they sailed. Jesus, concluding his intercession, came to them walking on the water. Assuming that He was a ghost, they became frightened. Jesus revealed himself and removed their fear.
Seeing Jesus walking upon the water, Peter requested to walk out to Him on the water. Jesus simply replied, “Come.” Confident in the command of Jesus to come, Peter stepped out of the security of the boat upon the shifting sea. By faith he began to walk on the water, looking to Jesus to keep him stepping out upon the sea. Everything was fine until the “But when” occurred. “But when he saw the wind. . .”, that’s when his difficulty arose. His trust in Jesus was turned aside by the sight of the turbulent winds. The winds of adversity attacked Him. Those boisterous blasts that knock us off course blew against him. He was confronted by a crisis that confounded his faith. He was struck by the same type of overwhelming encounters in life that cause us to sink. Fear found him. His faith wavered. His stance weakened. He stumbled. His steps slipped on the sea and He began to sink. Drowning, he needed deliverance. He cried out for rescue and he found it in Christ.
It is in these “but when” moments that our faith is challenged and fear could cause us to sink. When we, as Peter did, glance at the circumstances in our life that stir up the waters of adversity our faith can become feeble. We can easily find ourselves sinking. The invitation of Jesus to "Come" is canceled by the calamity that comes on us. Stalled and scared, we sink. We find ourselves crying out in panic. We plead for help. And like Peter, a hand is extended. Our hope, like his, is to grab hold. Only then are we safe in the arms of the Savior. He's got us. Sinking saints are saved by their standing Savior. Faith led Peter outside the boat, the Faithful one led him back. The Lord’s hand is extended ready to rescue every sinking saint and struggling sinner. He takes hold of the terrified. He rescues the perishing. The “but when’s” of our struggle are overcome by taking hold of the outstretched hand of our Savior.
Today don't let the "but when's" cause you to sink. But if you find yourself sinking, look for the extended hand of Jesus to rescue you. He's got you. Share with others that are sinking this good news of the hand extended to rescue them. He's got them too!
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