Step Out of the Boat By Faith

Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water. So He said, “Come,” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. -Matthew 14: 25, 28-29

In this passage, the disciples were out on the Sea of Galilee, fighting to keep afloat in a storm. Suddenly, Jesus came walking across the sea toward their boat! Jesus had been spending time with His Father, and He’d gotten so caught up in the glory that He didn’t even need a boat!

Peter saw Jesus and called out, “Lord, if that’s You, I want to come out there!” Jesus called back, “Come on out!”

I like Peter; he was a pioneer. He didn’t want to walk the same road everyone else traveled. He wanted to plow a new one!

Peter stepped out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. Now, it wasn’t the water that held Peter up. Just go try it sometime, and see if water will hold you up! No, it wasn’t the water—it was Jesus’ word that kept Peter on top of the water.

Jesus had said to him, “Come.” And every time Peter put his foot down to take another step on the water, he landed on that word. So Peter first heard and believed what Jesus said. Then Peter acted on what He’d said, keeping his eyes on Jesus all the while.

Also, did you notice that no one followed Peter out of the boat? No, the other disciples were probably all standing back, thinking, If it works for Peter, maybe I’ll try it. That’s the attitude that causes people to run into problems. They say, “Well, so-and-so got healed. I believe I’ll try that.” Then they wonder why it doesn’t work for them.

We aren’t healed because someone else was healed. We can’t live continually off someone else’s faith. We’re healed because the Bible says, “By Jesus’ stripes, you were healed.” (Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24.) Just like Peter, we have to take a step of faith out on the Word and believe God for the miracle we need!

CONFESSION:

When the One who made the water tells me I can walk on it, I can. The One who made my body tells me it’s healed, so it’s healed. The Word of God is the unsinkable foundation I walk on!

From: A Devotional for Divine Health Prescription for a Miracle, Mark Brazee, 1999