Get Out of the Boat
In our last posts we talked about how the Holy Spirit is referred to as the Comforter and why. Today’s post continues with a similar line of thinking. We find our scripture for today’s post in Matthew 14. Jesus has finished teaching a great multitude of people and feeding the five thousand plus. He tells His disciples to get in a boat and go across the sea to the other side while He sent the people home. Once the people were gone Jesus then went into a mountain to pray.
In the meantime, the disciples are in a boat fighting for their lives. A storm has blown up and is threatening to sink the ship the disciples are in. It is late at night (between 3:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.). The darkest part of the night in the middle of a violent storm. Their ship is being tossed too and fro. The disciples just knew they were going to die.
Then they suddenly see a figure coming towards them. They grew even more afraid as they thought they were seeing “a spirit”. The Bible says they then “cried out for fear”. It never occurred to the disciples that it was Jesus until He spoke to them saying, “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.”
Then comes the verse I would like to focus on. Matthew 14:28 tells us that Peter responds when he realizes it is Jesus. “And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” How many of us would even think to ask Jesus this? I would personally be more interested in asking Jesus to hurry up and get in the boat with me. I would not have any interest in going out to meet Him where He is in the middle of the storm.
Matthew 14:29 says that Jesus tells Peter to come. Did Peter second guess Jesus? Did Peter ask Him “Are you sure”? No, the end of the verse says, “he walked on the water, to go to Jesus”. This is a great testimony to Peter’s life. Peter has often been very much criticized in our churches for various events. Denying Christ three times, cutting off a guy’s ear, and then sinking while walking on water.
I want to applaud Peter today. He was willing to get out of the boat. You don’t read of any of the other disciples willing to try. Not even John, whom Jesus loved according to the Bible. They were too afraid. I mentioned in our previous post that fear at times paralyzes us to the point that we are useless to God. The other 11 disciples found themselves frozen in fear. Even though they knew that it was Jesus, they still wanted to stay right where they were. They wanted no part of the unknown even though it would be by Jesus’ side.
Can you imagine what it was like to walk on water? Neither can the disciples. They allowed a once in a lifetime opportunity pass them by due to fear. Lack of faith. How many opportunities pass us by because of lack of faith.
As I write this it is the day before Columbus Day. I often poke a little fun at Columbus saying it is a holiday celebrating that he got lost! But the truth is, Columbus was a very brave man who did not allow his fear to prevent him from exploring the great unknown. Because of his bravery, mankind has benefited.
Sometimes we need to put ourselves aside. We need to trust that God is with us and going to take care of us. It is hard. It can be in the darkest hour of the day. We never know when God is going to call on us to practice our faith. It shouldn’t matter. It will be the opportunity of a lifetime. We need to realize that it may not be the opportunity of our lifetime but for someone else. Your opportunity to walk on water may be the very moment in time that is set for someone else to become a Christian. The question is will you be willing to get out of the boat for them. Or are you going to play it safe and stay put, no matter what it costs others.
Our country was built, by God, on the backs of men and women willing to get out of the boat. On D-Day in Normandy, thousands of men knew as they approached the beach that it was highly likely they were about to charge to their death. Despite their fear, they were willing, not only to get out of the boat, but to RUN forward out into the unknown. They knew the freedom of millions of people, that they would never meet, depended on them having the courage to charge forward. Often the call of God leads us to the dark unknown. God was with those men at Normandy and He is with us today. We need to trust Him and get out of the boat.