Learning to Lean by Walking on Water

Verse: Matthew 14:25-33

"And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." Peter said to Him, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, "You are certainly God's Son!""

Thoughts: Serving God promotes tremendous personal and spiritual growth in the life of the believer as well as strengthens their walk with God. Jesus teaches Peter the initial lessons on service by teaching him to trust God’s Word and to obey His will. When Jesus called Peter out of the boat, it was these initial steps that prepared him for a life of future service. Peter unknowingly was being prepared to be a witness to the world about God’s redemptive love and His grace.

One aspect of spiritual growth through service is that it always places you in a position where you can’t lean on your own understanding. The Lord stretches our limits to the place where one has to trust Him for the strength and power to accomplish the tasks that are set before you.

Some people may say, “Oh, I can’t sit in a room full of two year-olds for an hour and a half.” or “I can’t speak in front of people.” God will give you the ability and will help you see where he needs you to be. I know this because I was one of those people. During Bible study, I was one of those people who was afraid to pray out loud in a small circle of people. I thought, “No, I can’t. There are people with more education, even doctorate degrees in this class. I’ll sound silly or mispronounce a word,” but through the grace of God, He taught me that it wasn’t all about me. I learned to lean on, to trust and to act in obedience. I now teach that class. All that I had to do was be faithful and obedient to His call for service.

All of us Christians are called into the service of our Lord, but we are not all listening. Don’t pay attention to the sounds of the wind and the waves around you; simply listen for the Master’s call and keep your eyes on Jesus so He can accomplish His will and purpose for our lives and see us through the storms.