Sometimes God tells me to hush up and let someone else talk a while. God has spoken and sent Carla’s words of insight and wisdom for me to share today. She will speak to you as she has to me.Stepping OutMatthew 14:21-33
It’s a familiar story that I’ve known since childhood. One most kids in Sunday school can tell. I’ve always thought it was a story about Peter and what happens when we take our eyes off Jesus. That’s part of it, but there’s more. What about the other characters in the story? What can we learn from them?Immediately after feeding the 5,000, Jesus sent the disciples out in a boat while he went up into the hills to pray. He knew something they didn’t. He knew he was sending them into a storm that would test their faith and offer them another opportunity to participate in something miraculous. Their faith had to have been at an all time high after being active participants in the miracle of feeding so many people with 2 little fish and 5 loaves of bread. I’m sure they were still talking about all those baskets of leftovers as they sat sail. “Can you believe it? Twelve baskets of leftovers.”
Everything was great. Then the storm hit. Strong winds and dangerous waves rocked their boat making them anxious. Jesus could have come to their rescue immediately, but chose to wait until late in the night. After all, our faith isn’t strengthened if He stops the storms in our life before they ever happen. At exactly the right time Jesus shows up. As he approached the boat walking on the water, the disciples didn’t recognize Him. How could that be? They had just left his presence, yet their first thought was that it must be a ghost. Even after He spoke, they still weren’t sure it was Him. Peter finally asks Jesus to prove it was Him by letting Peter walk on the water. We all know how that ends. Peter walks on the water until he begins to focus on the waves and wind instead of the One who controls the waves and wind. Jesus has to lift him out of the water and into the safety of the boat chastising him for his lack of faith.
But what about the other disciples? What is their role? Peter was the only one who trusted Jesus enough to step out of the safety of the boat. For what ever reason, the others chose not to get out. Maybe they felt more protected from the storm in the familiarity of the boat. Don’t we all long to stay where we know it’s safe rather than stepping out into the unknown. What Jesus asks us to do doesn’t always make sense or seem safe, but just like with Peter, He’s always going to be there to pick us up when we start to sink.
Maybe they still weren’t sure it was Jesus. It looked and sounded like him, but they weren’t convinced enough to actually step out. Aren’t we the same way? We are pretty sure we know what He wants us to do, but we aren’t about to act until He gives us an indisputable sign. We’ll keep “praying about” what He wants us to do never actually doing anything.
Maybe they knew it was Him and that He could protect them, but doubted if they were worthy of such an experience. Who were they to be a part of something miraculous? Shouldn’t He use someone without all our failures. After all, He KNEW them and He knows us too. We look around and see others that we think would be better at serving in a particular area or don’t serve because we feel like everyone knows we really aren’t worthy of being used. We messed up way too many times.
Maybe they were content to watch as someone else had the experience like so many church goers are today. They know God’s doing great things in their church, but they want to watch from the sidelines rather than getting involved. They would rather be a spectator to what God’s doing rather than being an active part. It’s a lot more comfortable attending a church than becoming a member of the local church and having to serve.
In the end, they were all saved from the storm, but Peter was the only one to have an intimate encounter with a miracle. His faith was not unfaltering (he got scared and started to sink), but he was available. He wasn’t completely certain of what he was doing or what he was stepping out into, but he did as Jesus said anyway. He wasn’t more worthy, but he didn’t miss the experience either.
None of us will ever be worthy of being used and He certainly doesn’t need us to accomplish His plans. But he does want us to experience the indescribable joy of stepping out in faith. I may not fully understand what He’s calling me to step out into, but I don’t want to miss the incredible experiences God has for me because I’m sitting in the boat. Do you?