Matthew 14:29-30 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
Peter was asked to do the impossible — walk on water. His radical prayer was answered because of its purpose: to get to Jesus. The Lord Jesus is the object and goal of our faith. Why should we desire to live clean lives in obedience to God’s Word? “To go to Jesus!” Through this holy desire, the Lord allows ordinary people to do extraordinary things on their way to Him.
Consider the Apostle Paul’s mission statement:
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, (Phil. 3:8)
Disciples can still walk on water! The Lord continually grants the request in the following sense. We believers ask for deliverance from besetting sins that destroy our lives: we cry out to the Lord to help us overcome selfishness, pride, and covetousness, and He delivers! We pray for strength and ability for service, and the Lord provides. We can walk on the water!
Remember, Peter started to sink on his way to Jesus. Yes, disciples can still walk on water, and they can still sink.
Here are four ways to keep from sinking:
- Don’t take your eyes off Jesus.
One of the most straightforward definitions of faith in the Bible is Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he walked above his present circumstances. We walk to the Lord through His Word, in prayer, and through this, we make Him the object of our faith, fixing our eyes on Him.
2. Keep your eyes off the weather.
“The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold;” (Prov. 20:4a) A Christian who ponders the wind and the waves won’t step out of the boat. At no time point in human history has the weather been conducive to walking on water! Don’t consider the obstacles. Keep your eyes off the weather and on Jesus.
3. Keep your mind off the other disciples in the boat.
“Where is so and so?” is often asked at church ministry functions. If we could read the questioner’s mind, I imagine that it would sound something like this, “If so and so is not here, I guess I don’t have to be here either.” In John 21:22, Peter asked Jesus, “What is John going to do?” Jesus responds, “What is that to thee? Follow thou me. So, what if you are the only one stepping out of the boat? “What is that to thee? Follow thou me!” Keep your mind off what the other disciples are doing and follow Jesus.
4. Keep your eyes off yourself.
If we look inward, one of two things happens: we either become proud or self-condemning. Many have taken credit for what the grace of God has allowed them to do. “Look at me!” “I walk on water!” Pride says, “I have a nice job, beautiful family, I serve at church…” but “Pride goeth before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). When we get proud, we will sink!
On the other side of the coin, we consider ourselves. We look at our past failings, our inabilities, and our overwhelming responsibilities, and we say, “What am I doing out here? Who am I kidding? I can’t walk on water!” You are right — you can’t! Many professing Christians will say about the matter of living for Christ, “I tried that once, but it wasn’t for me.” A “water walker” wasn’t who Peter was either. It was Jesus working through Peter.
Let us look to Jesus and say with Paul: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me!” (Phil. 4:13)