And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Matthew 14:28
Would you have said this? Most people would not have the courage. Maybe you would have said, “Lord, if it is you, calm this raging storm, and take us safely to the shore.”
When we face a great trial, our natural reaction is to ask, “When will this be over? When can I get back to the life I want to live?” We plead, “Lord, calm the storm and get me out of here!”
But that is not what Peter said. He said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Instead of wishing that the storm would cease, Peter felt this was the perfect opportunity for a bold, new venture of faith. Here is a good question to ask when you find yourself in a storm: What opportunity is there, in the middle of this, for a new venture of faith?
What are we to make of Peter walking on the water? This part of the story should have one of those “Do not try this at home” warnings attached to it. If you try getting out of a boat “by faith,” you will not automatically walk on water. Faith is not recklessness.
Remember that the devil tempted Jesus by suggesting He should throw Himself from the pinnacle of the temple, because the angels would bear Him up. Jesus said, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (Matt. 4:5-7).
Faith is not “believing that anything is possible if only you believe it hard enough.” Rather, faith is a believing response to the Word of God. Peter got this exactly right. He said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
In your trouble, what opportunity is there for a new venture of faith?
