And when the disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."
So Jesus 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 14:26-31
Who is Jesus to you? The disciples knew Jesus well. They had been with him when He raised a little girl from the dead, when He gave sight to the blind, and when He healed the sick. They'd left behind their entire lives to follow Jesus, and spent every day with Him. But that night, as they sat on a boat in the middle of the sea and saw Jesus walking towards them on the water, something was different.
The winds blowing, the disciples started to panic. Peter called out to Jesus, saying, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." So Jesus said, "Come." And for a brief moment, while Peter's eyes were fixed on Jesus, he walked on the water. As soon as he looked around, though, realizing that he could very well drown, he began to sink. So Jesus immediately stretched out His hand to save him -- just as He had stretched out His hand to raise the little girl from the dead, and just as He had stretched out His hand to give healing to the sick. The disciples had seen Jesus save many people from many things. This time, though, they said, "Truly You are the Son of God" (Matthew 14:33).
Why now? Why did the disciples only now "truly" understand that Jesus was, indeed, the Son of God? Why would they have given up their very lives to follow Him if they hadn't "truly" believed all along?
You see, the disciples knew of Jesus' power, but they'd never shared in it. They'd seen and even experienced His miracles, but had never taken a step of faith to be part of one. That night, Peter took a step of faith -- he failed miserably, but at least he took a step. Jesus was showing His disciples that they are not just bystanders -- that He would empower them, even to walk on water, if they would simply have faith.
Who is Jesus to you? Maybe you know today, like the disciples did, that He is powerful -- that He can perform miracles in your life, and bring healing. But do you realize that He wants to empower you with His strength? Do you realize that He is truly the Son of God, and is not only able to do the impossible, but to empower you to do the impossible, by faith?
Jesus says in Mark 9:23 that "all things are possible to him who believes." Today, you are not a bystander. Jesus wants to empower you with His power so that He can do amazing things in and through your life. Sometimes, like Peter, we fail. But you must be willing to take that first step of faith.
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