UNSHAKABLE FAITH

“And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:28-31 (New King James Version)

     Did you ever wonder why bad things happen to you?  Circumstances of this nature happen to good and bad people all the time.  Just because you are a Christian don’t ever think nothing bad will happen to you?  The thing we must keep in mind is that it’s not the circumstances you find yourself in, but rather how you react to each circumstance that is the key.

     Take Peter, for instance. Seeing Jesus coming towards the disciples in the boat on the Sea of Galilee he said to Him command me to come to You on the water. At that moment Peter’s faith was sky high. He was focused on Jesus and nothing else. Once he was actually on the water it was a different story. What changed? Was it Jesus? No. Had the circumstances changed?  Yes, but more importantly, Peter changed. Circumstances change all the time. In a moments time your life can be turned upside down. It was not the changing circumstances that caused Peter to begin to sink, but rather his reaction to those changes.

     There are a couple key phrases in this passage of Scripture.  One is “when he (Peter) saw the wind, he was afraid”.  It wasn’t just the wind, but what the wind caused. Imagine this scene. Whipping wind, lapping waves, distracting noise … all things that caused Peter’s focus to shift from Jesus to what was going on around him.  He panicked and began to sink in the water. Now pay close attention … the second key phrase is this: “’Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “  In an instant he was saved from his dire circumstances.

     Now before you assume from this passage that God always plucks us out of difficult situations immediately, hear this: God has a will for you. He uses situations and circumstances to teach you. When things don’t go your way, don’t ask “Why me Lord?” but rather “What would you have me learn from this?” It is a progressive thing. You may not react this way the first time or perhaps not even the 10^th time you find yourself in difficult circumstances, but know this; God either causes or allows everything that happens in the Universe He created. He is in complete control of His creation. Your circumstances are meant to teach you how to be just a little more like Jesus each day. He loves us that much. Trust me when I tell you that some day you will look at a painfully difficult situation square on and not even flinch, but rather say “Lord, mold me and make me more like You thru this.”  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

NOTE:  The translation used today is the New King James Version.