Walking on Water

In my devotion this morning the Lord pressed His truth upon my heart. As I prayed and talked to Him about some deeply personal and tender issues, all I could think about was the song, Oceans. I couldn't help but think that when He calls me out upon the water, I must learn from Peter and keep my eyes on Jesus. Remember? Good ol' Peter. Caught in a windstorm in a boat in the middle of a lake, Peter looks out and sees someone...what is that? A man? Walking on the water? Jesus, is that you? Are you walking on top of the water? If it's you, Lord, I want to come too! And he did. He walked on water...as long as he kept his focus on the one who had called him. It was when Peter took his eyes off Jesus that he began to sink.

Have you ever been there? In a storm, tossed to and fro, fearful of what will be? Or maybe you have been in a different kind of storm...a storm that brings words skillfully aimed to hurt you. Or maybe you have had to face a medical diagnosis that brought more questions than answers. Or, just maybe, everything seemed to come at you at once and you were like that little ship tossed about in the wind, unable to control the direction of your life or the direction from which the next strong gust of wind destined to blow you off course would come. Me too. I mean, really, who can control the wind? I've been through all of them.

Through it all, Jesus wants us to follow Him. To step out of the perceived safety of our known environment and go where He leads. To step out upon the water. "Come." That was what He said to Peter. "Come," is the same thing He says to me. And to you.

Sometimes our storms last for years. During that time it is so easy to lose our focus. Instead of keeping our eyes on Jesus and walking toward Him, we start looking around trying to dodge the next crashing wave or stand up to the crippling force of the wind. We start to sink. We find ourselves drowning in the bitterness, fear, and heartache that overwhelms us. The pressure builds around us and painfully crushes us. We slip deeper into the darkness.

Let's be like Peter. When he started sinking he called out to the Lord. Call out to the Lord today. Tell him your troubles and struggles. Reach out and take His hand. Let's put fear behind us and step out upon the water, keeping our eyes on Jesus lest we surely drown.