Psalm 69
1 Save me, O God, for the floodwaters are up to my neck. 2 Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire; I can’t find a foothold. I am in deep water, and the floods overwhelm me.
…Thank God my Lifeguard walks on water.
Life will not always be easy sailing. We will experience moments where so much is going on, we may feel as though we are drowning in bills, debt, problems at work, trouble with kids, relationship problems, etc. Sometimes we will enter storms and Jesus will call us to step out of our comfort zone (the boat) and walk on faith (water). This is so much easier said than done.
Many of us have probably read the story about Peter walking on water and wondered how he could doubt Jesus after witnessing the miracles He had just performed. However, isn’t this what we do? I will speak for myself. I am guilty of watching God work out problem after problem, clean up mess after mess that I create and then when another situation arises, I begin to stress as if I doubt the faithfulness He has already proven to me. He has never failed and He won’t begin now. His track record is impeccable.
I don’t believe that it was so much that Peter doubted Who Jesus Is or what He is capable of because after all, he told Jesus to call him out on the water. He trusted in Jesus’ capabilities. He was the one who asked Jesus to call him on the water to prove that He wasn’t a ghost. But once on the water Peter shifted his focus off of the One Who controls the elements onto the elements themselves. And this right here is what causes us to sink.
The Word says that “when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid. And beginning to sink…” We begin to sink when we are no longer fixated on the Savior and become fixated on studying the strength of the storm that surrounds us. When we become engulfed with fear of what’s against us we no longer operate in faith of Who is within us.
Something else I would like to point out in the text is how Peter was the one who asked for this miracle. He asked for Jesus to bring him out on the water. This stands out to me because I can relate so much. We get so excited about Who Jesus Is and all He can do and we ask Him to perform miracles in our lives without realizing what we are asking for. We ask God to do the impossible but then when He calls us out into impossible situations, we panic. We start analyzing the situation comparing the storm to our strength but while we are busy looking inward at ourselves, we can’t look out to the Savior, our Lifeguard.
Don’t focus on circumstances, remain focused on Christ.
"Sometimes God has to let your situation get humanly impossible so He can totally reveal Who He Is.” - Pastor Steven Furtick
You may feel like you’re drowning in the storms of life but thank God, your Lifeguard walks on water and lives within you. It isn’t about the strength of the storm but the strength of the Savior.
Matthew 14 30 But when he saw the strength of the wind,[a] he was afraid. And beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out His hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 Then those in the boat worshiped Him and said, “Truly You are the Son of God!”