The Faith Journey #8 - Walking on Water

Welcome back to The Faith Journey. This Sunday series is about my faith walk, and the things the Lord is teaching me as I go. I hope you will join me on this journey and grow in your faith as well.

     There are times when I feel I learn more from homeschooling my children than they do.  Sometimes, even though I have prepared for a lesson, as I am teaching it I will have a revelation.  I had one such moment this week while we worked on a bible lesson.  It was on Matthew 14:22-33 which reads

     "Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone,  and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 

     Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

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

       “Come,” he said.

     Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

      And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”"

    I have read this passage many times previously, but for some reason this time around, in the midst of our lesson, I saw it in a new light.  I was suddenly struck by the fact that as long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, his faith was strong, so strong in fact; he could walk on water just as Christ did.  The moment he took his eyes off Jesus, he allowed for fear to enter his heart, and began to sink.
     I can so clearly see this in my own life.  As long as I am looking to Christ to guide me through impossible situations, my faith is strong.  I can feel His hands leading me.  It is only when I stop to look around me, and see things from an earthly perspective that I lose my faith.  I start to sink down into the water, and things start to go wrong.  Even though I have seen Him work many miracles in my life, I still allow doubt, and "the facts" of the situation to crowd out my faith in the amazing things He can do.  Even more amazing is that I often forget to call out, instead allowing myself to sink even farther down.  Why do I do this?  Why do I so easily lose faith and allow what the world is telling me to interfere with what I know He is capable of doing.  I am stealing from him when I do this!
  
   

     Lord, forgive me for my many doubts. Cause my faith to be restored. Thank you for allowing me to rest in you. I do not need to worry about tomorrow; you have a plan for me which far surpasses anything I could imagine. I know you will provide for my every need, and I can have faith in you. Amen.