Come

Matthew 14:28-30 " Lord, if it is 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, he cried out loud, "Lord, save me!"

There are a few things we can learn from this passage and I would like to break them down and share my thoughts on them. 

1) Obedience -  Then Peter got down out of the boat... Peter, first, had to obey the word of Jesus. He did not step out onto the water without calling out to Jesus first. He knew if he stepped out on his own, he would have drowned.  

2) Faith -  ...and he walked on the water... Peter acted in complete faith that Jesus had the power to hold him up. He did not let the fact that the water was raging, and he could have easily been pulled under by the currents, keep him in the boat.

3) Distraction - But when Peter saw the wind... For Peter to see the wind, he had to take his eyes off of Jesus. He, instead, focused on the fact that he could have drowned. 

4) Emotions - ...he was afraid... Peter let the fear of drowning override his faith in the One who was reaching out to him. 

5) Rescue - he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Even though he was sinking, Peter did not let his lack of faith keep him from calling on the name of Jesus. 

So often, we let fear keep us from proceeding with what God is telling us to do. We tend to live in the what-ifs more often than we should. What if it's just me and not the voice of God? What if I step out to (fill in the blank) and no one responds? What if people try to pull me down?

What if? What if? What if? The what ifs are ok but we just can't stay there. When we let them take control, then we will miss out on what God has for us. There are blessings in obedience.

In order to increase our faith, we must spend time in God's Word. Romans 10:17 says, Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.  Our faith increases as we spend time with the Lord. God wants us to be in relationship with Him on a continual basis. It is easy to praise Him when things are good, but when things are not so good, we can lose our faith if our eyes are not fastened on Him. 

So, when you feel yourself sinking, just call on the name of the Lord. He will always be there for you. He simply says, "Come."

Be blessed,
Dawn