The Rock and The Storm

Save Me Lord!
Peter --Aka --The Rock

Jesus was doing the kind of things that were normal for Jesus to do, as He walked on the water without disturbing the fish.  The disciples, including Peter, were in a boat and it appeared to be a bit stormy.  BUT they were very safe in the boat.  Something certainly got into Peter, and he wanted to be like Jesus.  He wanted to walk on the water.  So, he decided to ask Jesus, "May I come out there and walk on the water with you?"  Or he said something to that effect. Jesus said, "Sure, come on out here."  And Peter did just that.

Keep in mind, while Peter was in the boat, it was bouncing around like a B-B in a box car. Not only that, but the waves were REALLY HIGH! The Darkness was very real, and he could have easily been frightened in that pitchy little boat bobbing around like a cork in the water. In other words, it seemed to be a stormy event taking place. Still Peter stepped out in the water, and sure enough, he walked on the water for a little while. He was walking just like Jesus!  I really do think he did way better than I would have done under those circumstances. He actually left the security of that big flotation device of a boat -- and all its security -- to step out in faith ... storm and all. This kind of makes me feel humbled that Peter did so, while I would not have stuck my big toe in the water. I probably would have stayed in the boat.

So what happened to make him sink from his pinnacle of faith?  He took his eyes off Jesus.  He looked at the waves. He saw how enormously high they seemed.  He probably started thinking, "What was I thinking? How could I believe I could ever believe that I could walk on water in the midst of this darkness?"  Yup! The waves were high. The winds were blowing The darkness was opaque.  The water was deep.  AND there was nothing under his feet but some cold liquid that began to rise above his soles ... above his feet ... above his ankles ... up to his calves  ... next his knees.  He was sinking like bait into the murky waters. He was also becoming terrified!  So he did what any red blooded strong fisherman would do.  He cried out for salvation!

What had changed from the time Peter began his boardless water walking  experience to that moment of feeling that sensation of sinking? What had changed from that moment he so fearlessly stepped out of that boat into the night? Nothing really changed.  Jesus was still near.  The boat was behind him. He had been so very faithfully brave stepping out into the darkness of the night.  The waves were already high before he began his walk. The wind had already been blowing. The water was already cold and wet. So, circumstances were similar; however, how Rock looked at those circumstances had done a one hundred and eighty degree turn. His viewpoint changed immensely.

Stepping out of the boat, he focused on one thing. Or I should say he focused on one person.  He focused on Jesus. He was inspired by Jesus to step out in faith because his thoughts were filled with being like Jesus and walking in the way Jesus walked. With all the stormy noise going on around him, he focused on the only man who could walk on water.  He focused on the only one who could cause him to do the same. Then, in a quick second, he started looking at all the "stuff" going on around him. He almost immediately quit looking to Jesus to sustain him and maintain him.  And so, as the sinking feeling arose up within him his body went down. His sinking, and circumstantial evidence around him,  washed over him, and he lost his faith focus in Jesus. He's a lot like many of us. Needless to say, his sinking feeling became a sinking experience.

It's easy to judge Peter, but Peter still did the right thing.  He cried out to Jesus.  And after a slight rebuke, Jesus saved him.  Sure, Peter lost his faith focus.  Sure he looked at every part of what creation was doing around him at that moment; nevertheless, there was one thing he absolutely knew for sure:  Jesus could save him.  So he let out the loud call written at the first of this blog.  God helped him tremendously.

You may be going through things right now that you would rather avoid.  You may feel like you are right in the middle of a Category -5 hurricane. The overwhelming circumstances are tearing at you. You might just be sinking into the waters of despair.  So, what do you do?  You do the same thing Peter did.  It's only a three word faith cry.  "LORD SAVE ME!"  But you might just be surprised what this little prayer can do for you, when you face the storms of your life.

SoJourner