This summer has been dedicated to stories of water in the bible for our children in summer Sunday School and Children’s Worship. We’ve been looking at stories of everything from Noah and the ark to Moses parting the Red Sea. Soon we’ll be looking at Peter walking on water, undoubtedly one of my favorite stories that involves Peter and Jesus!
Think about it for a minute. Peter is in a boat with the other eleven disciples. They’re tired. It’s late. The sky is dark. The sea is calm. These men are used to being on water, after all a few of them were fishermen! The sea was a pretty common thing for them. But this night was different. Jesus told them to go ahead of them and he’d find his own way across the sea, so they listened. At some point as they were crossing the sea, they see something out on the water. It’s not another boat. It’s a man, walking on the water! Immediately they all freak out thinking it’s a ghost. Honestly, none of us can blame them for that one!
After a few exchanges, the figure on the water calls Peter to come out to him. So naturally, being the impulsive man we all love, Peter jumps out of the boat and starts trekking across the sea – on the water! Now the cool part is as long as he is looking at Jesus, he stays afloat. But the second he takes his eyes off of Jesus and looks at the challenging situation around him, he sinks like a rock!
Now there’s something for us to glean from this passage. I believe God calls us to be water walkers as well. This week’s Music Monday is all about walking on the water. In the midst of the storms and challenges of life, God promises to keep us afloat. All we have to do is keep our eyes fixed securely on him. You see we have everything we need to be wave walkers. We too can walk on water, just like Peter. Now don’t of jumping out of a boat this summer while on vacation in hopes to stay afloat!
The idea of walking on water and stepping on the waves is that in the midst of life’s challenging moments, with our eyes focused on Christ, we won’t sink. We’ll stay upright and on top of the flooding waters of life. And if by chance you take your eyes off of Christ for even a second, remember he’s right there with you. And just like Peter, you’ll find yourself securely in the arms of Christ. So fix your eyes on Christ. Get out of the boat. It’s time for a little water walking fun!
Leave a Reply