by Cody Carden
Have you ever run a marathon? Well, whether you have or have not, from what I have been told, running a marathon requires a mindset of every step counting. That finish line is seemingly impossible to reach, and at any given moment, you might feel like you could just collapse, but you still only get to the end by taking one step at a time. In Matthew 14, Peter took a few steps of his own that mark great significance and symbolism for us today.
“But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 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. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.” – Matthew 14:24-32
The first step Peter took was a step of faith. Peter had enough faith in Jesus’ power to take that first step out of the boat. While Peter had already seen Jesus perform miracles, it still took him a whole sentence before stepping out. Sometimes in our life, it is hard to take that first step of faith. There is an obstacle in your path, and there is seemingly no way around it except to take a risk larger than you expected. It is so easy to get caught up in the “I’ll just stay in the boat” mentality. It is easy to stay where it is safe and where you know you will at least be around familiar faces and/or circumstances. However, like Peter, we do not immediately think of how God has protected us thus far. Regardless, Peter still got out of the boat and took that first step.
Secondly, Peter took the step of trust. This step comes only after the first step of faith and with no lightheartedness. He had his eyes fixed on Jesus until his circumstances became unbearable. We may know that God has the power and the authority to intervene in any situation that may come up, but that does not exempt us from being broken people. Interestingly enough, when Peter took his eyes off Jesus and started sinking into the sea, there was no indication of how far away he was from Jesus. Nevertheless, Jesus was immediately there to stretch out his hand and catch him with no hindrances or delays but immediately. He is there for us just the same, but sometimes it is hard to put this concept into practice. Understanding that after I take a risk, though blinded by uncertainty, I can still put total trust in God to lead me as far as He wants.
There is no need to waste time, for the Lord has already revealed Himself to us. A pastor once told me, “It takes more of you to find more of God,” meaning that each step we take from the boat will lead us closer to Christ. So let this be an encouragement to make every step count.
Cody Carden is completing a missions internship with John O’Malley this summer. If this was an encouragement to you, please click here to let him know.