Walking on The Water with Jesus

I’m not sure why I’m finding it so hard to blog lately? It is like a battle every time I sit down at the computer to write. It’s not that I don’t have anything to write about because I have so much on my heart that I would love to share, I just can’t seem to find the words to write when I try to start.

I thought I knew what my post was going to be about…”Belonging”…”Having our place”…”Being ‘our’ piece of the puzzle”. (I will write about this eventually…I think) But, I experienced something this week that has taken me in a new direction for today’s blog.

Do you know the story in Matthew 14, where Peter walks on the water? Jesus sends the disciples ahead of Him to cross over to the other side of the lake. They’re out on the lake and an unexpected storm arises. The wind is steadily and harshly whipping against the boat while the massive waves are crashing against it making it seem almost impossible to get to the other side. The boat is rocking side to side, water is coming inside of the boat, and it is hard for the disciples to even stay on deck to guide the boat in the right direction. Their full attention is on the storm and getting their boat to the other side. Then here comes someone or something walking towards them…ON TOP OF THE WATER…unaffected by this horrendous storm! It is Jesus and He identifies Himself to them. Then Peter calls to Jesus and says, “Lord, if it’s You, command me to come to You on the water”. So Jesus calls Peter out to Him. Peter gets out of the boat and begins walking on the water toward Jesus. (The wind is still fierce and the waves are still crashing against one another, but because Jesus has spoken and Peter believed and obeyed…he is walking towards Jesus on the water) While he was walking, for a brief moment Peter takes his eyes off of Jesus and looks at the wind and waves and he begins to sink. He quickly calls out to Jesus and Jesus immediately reaches out His hand to him.

How many times in life do we take our eyes off of Jesus and His promises and look at the wind and waves surrounding us? This happened to me this week…and I began to sink.

This unexpected storm surfaced early January 2018 for me. I, too, was afraid just like the disciples. Honestly, for the first couple of days, all I could see was the storm. The winds were so forceful that I could barely stand against them, much less walk. The waves were taller than me and they were crashing all around me, tossing me back and forth. I was being battered!! Then I saw Jesus…and He called out to me, “Sherry, come walk with Me.” At that moment, things changed…my “reality” changed. I didn’t see the storm anymore…I only saw Jesus and I was walking with Him and we were not affected by the storm going on around us. I knew that He had authority over this storm.

Everything has been great! The storm is still raging, but it has not affected me. Actually, I haven’t even noticed it until this week. Just like Peter… the storm got my attention and I shifted my eyes from Jesus and placed them on the storm and I began to sink. Yep…that fast!!! It really just took a second and I felt the force of the storm all around me. Goodness, those winds were cutting and the waves, they were ruthless, tossing me back and forth, carrying me under to toss me around while beating against every fiber of my being. How did this happen? How did this storm become bigger than Jesus? How did it grab my focus?

I wish I could say that I called out to Jesus and everything was great. It wasn’t…because even though I called out to Jesus…I continued shifting my eyes from Him to the storm and back to Him and then to the storm. You get the picture. Then He said to me, “You can either be sad, heartbroken, fearful, hopeless and believe the lie (this storm)  or you can put your eyes on Me and believe Me.” That was a true statement presented in the form of a choice and I had to choose.

I chose to put my eyes back on Him and even though the storm is still happening…it is NOT affecting me. I am walking this storm out with Jesus…knowing that the winds and waves obey Him and when He speaks to them to cease…THEY WILL CEASE!

There are facts in life and then there is “THE TRUTH”. The Truth is God’s word. If the facts don’t line up with His word then they are not the truth…they are only facts. You put your eyes on Jesus and you begin to speak His Truth into and over your situation and watch the facts get in line with His Truth!

What are you facing today that is causing you to fear, to hurt, to be confused, to doubt, to be troubled, etc? Whatever it is…it is not bigger than Jesus! He is the Peace Speaker. He can calm every storm…heal every disease…mend every broken heart…speak to every prodigal child and bring them home…deliver from every addiction…keep you safe…reconcile broken homes…and meet any and every need you may have. Ask Jesus to command you to come to Him on the water. When He does…you have to take your eyes off of the storm and step out of the boat and trust Him. You can do this!!!