" Walk by FAITH, not by SIGHT"

  " Walk by FAITH, not by SIGHT "

Let’s take a look at the story of Jesus walking on water. A mighty storm has come up; Jesus walks out on the sea to rescue his disciples and to calm their fears.

Let’s look at Peter, the action craving, hands on, always wanting to experience life to the fullest, kind of guy. The story is found in Matthew 14 and it reads like this:

Immediately after this, Jesus made his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake while he sent the people home. Afterward he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was their alone. Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came to them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him, they screamed in terror, thinking he was a ghost. But Jesus spoke to them at once. “It’s all right,” he said, “I am here! Don’t be afraid.” Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you by walking on water.

"All right, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he looked around at the high waves, he was terrified and began to sink.

“Save me, Lord! He shouted. Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and grabbed him.

You don’t have much faith,” Jesus said, “Why did you doubt me?” And when they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.

Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

God gave Peter the power to get out of the boat and to walk on the water. When Peter looked at his circumstances, he wavered in his faith and sunk. Some people just remember the story because Peter sunk, but let us look again and be amazed. Peter, the action kind of guy, believed God and walked on water. Be it ever so short, he did it. His peers could only exclaim in worship that Jesus was the Son of God; but Peter experienced the power of God.

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God the Creator has created all of us different. There are those who sit in the boat. Then there are the Peters. Which kind of Christian are you? Which kind of Christian do you wish you were? I’m betting there are a lot of Peters in the world.

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Peter, how great what he got to do! A heck of a storm is raging around him, he was scared out of his socks, (oops, they didn’t wear socks with their sandals) and says, ‘tell me to come to you by walking on water.’ This man lived on the edge, probably an adrenaline junkie.

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The waves are raging and Peter bails off of the boat. Peter walked on water. When he looked at the waves he became terrified! They must have been some big waves, because we are told they were in trouble and Jesus was coming to rescue them.

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Peter shouts to the Lord, ‘Save me!’ This was no King James super spiritual sounding prayer, this was an urgency from the gut of a man who was falling.

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INSTANTLY JESUS REACHED OUT HIS HAND AND GRABBED HIM. What a great lesson for all of us to learn. Jesus sent the disciples out on that boat, and then came to help them. When Peter wanted to go for it Jesus said, “Come”. With great enthusiasm Peter tried and when he became overwhelmed with fear, he cried to Jesus for help. How awesome, Jesus instantly helped him.

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Jesus didn’t put Peter in that boat to embarrass him or to watch him fail. I can just see Jesus smiling at Peter as he bailed out of the boat. For Jesus, the remembrance of Peter on the water had to have been a great one.

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Don’t you think Jesus was laughing with Peter when they got in the boat and said, “you don’t have much faith, why did you doubt me?” This isn’t in the Scriptures but can’t you just hear Peter saying, “Can I try it again? That was fun.” And then Peter looking at the other disciples with this huge thumb up sign.

Some people are afraid of failure! Some are so afraid that they won’t even try anything new; let alone stepping out in faith. But Peter wasn’t afraid to try. Peter got out of the boat—he stepped out in faith. He might not have walked very far, but he walked on water. Fears fill our culture. The Bible tells us that we have not been given a spirit of fear and timidity but power, love, and self discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7) Now ain’t that something to get excited about?!

God has given us the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. This is probably hard to believe so here is the verse,

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“I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light

so that You can understand the wonderful future He has promised to those He called.

I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance He has given to His people.

I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of His power for us who believe Him.

This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead

and seated Him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 1:18-20​

Yes, if you are a born again Christian that has accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior; you have been given a spirit that is mighty and powerful. Each of us has been given power through the Holy Spirit that indwells us. The glory of God is living in us, just imagine what we could do, if we really believed. Don't be afraid to fail, be afraid not to try. .

A whole bunch of us want nothing much to do with the pew sitting, boring kind of life, which too often the church portrays. Here is a challenge for thrill seeking Christians—let’s be the Peters of this generation? When the storms of life are raging and we are scared out of our socks let’s face the mighty waves with courage, boldness, and faith as we walk toward Jesus. Let us not be afraid of failure, for Jesus is right there to pick us up. Let’s get excited about the walk of faith—let’s walk on some water.