…Peter…walked on the water to
go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid…
—Matthew 14:29-30
“The wind really was
boisterous and the waves really were high, but Peter didn’t see them at first.
He didn’t consider them at all; he simply recognized his Lord, stepped out in
recognition of Him, and “walked on the water.” Then he began to take those things
around him into account, and instantly, down he went. […] We step right out
with recognition of God in some things, then self-consideration enters our
lives and down we go. […] Let your actual circumstances be what they may, but
keep recognizing Jesus, maintaining complete reliance upon Him. If you debate
for even one second when God has spoken, it is all over for you. […] It is only
through abandonment of yourself and your circumstances that you will recognize
Him.” CHAMBERS
During the Revolutionary War,
Thomas Paine wrote a number articles or pamphlets to encourage and inspire the
people. In one such pamphlet he wrote
about “sunshine soldiers”. He wrote, “These are the times that try men's souls: The
summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the
service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks
of man and woman.” There are many such
Christians, who because of the lack of their resolve, shrink in the face of a
trial. Abandon the cause if you will, because
they face difficult times and fear sets in.
Peter started well. He heard the voice
of the Lord and by faith stepped out of the boat. It was Jesus, the One who commands nature, that
enabled Peter to defy the laws of nature.
It is Jesus that enables the Christian to defy the natural and stand in
the midst of calamity, unwavering, overcoming, victorious. That is not to say that like many a soldier who
survives the war you won’t carry battle scars for the rest of your life. But then, so does Jesus!
The point is that we must
focus on our Lord and not our circumstances. Our circumstances are real, just
like the waves tossing around Peter, but they are irrelevant in light of Jesus,
who commands the waves. So Peter doubted
.. lost his focus .. started trusting himself and not the Lord in the midst of
a situation that was impossible. Notice, Peter did not decide to climb out of
the boat on his own and then cry for help when he got in trouble. We do that all too often. It started with faith
in Jesus and ended with faith in Jesus. What
is your situation and who are you trusting in?
CHARLEY
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
“Oh soul are you weary and
troubled? No light in the darkness to see
There's a light for a look at
the Savior, And life more abundant and free
Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look
full in His wonderful face
And the things of Earth will
grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace”
No comments:
Post a Comment