When Jesus said to Peter "Come" and he immediately jumped over the side of the boat and started walking on water (Matthew 14:25-29), I have often wondered what was going through his mind. Lest we forget, the sea at the time was not calm for the boat he and the other disciples were in was "in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves, for the wind was contrary" (v.24, KJV). Conditions were of such that Peter could not see Jesus clearly, but despite the howling winds he had no problem hearing His voice and in his mind that was good enough for him. Have you ever been there?
If we could have spoken to Peter afterward, I think he would have said he got out of the boat because the safest place to be in a storm is wherever Jesus is. Very few would argue with that. However, let us not not forget that before Peter got to where Jesus was, he almost didn't make it. We are told that "when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me" (vv.29-30). Isn't that like so many of us? Wanting so much to be where Jesus is but often overtaken by the circumstances around us. Like the boisterous wind, the situations we often face leave us feeling shaken and afraid. Many times we do not feel His presence neither can we "see" Him, yet it is comforting to know that in the wee hours of the morning, the darkest part of the night, He not only knows where we are but we can hear His reassuring voice bidding us to "Come" towards Him.
For Peter, and many of us, fear sometimes overtake faith. It is in those moments that our knees buckle and we start to falter. Some people say Peter took his eyes off Jesus but the text does not support that. Despite his steadfastness in obeying the voice of his Lord, again like some of us who have tried to do the same, he fell victim to his humanness; he became afraid. That fear interrupted his walk but not his focus, for "beginning to sink, he cried saying, Lord, save me." Who do you call when your walk becomes interrupted by fear and personal failure?
There was no hesitation in Jesus' response to Peter's cry. Matthew tells us, "And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him" (v.31a). Immediately. Yes, He also did rebuke him for his lack of faith but His immediate response should be comforting to believers everywhere. Despite ourselves and our failures, and regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in, Christ's love for us never wavers. As soon as Peter began to sink, he called out and to Jesus and was saved. Let that be our example for when we feel we can't go much further, for it is when we come to the end of ourselves that we will find Him to be more than enough.
