Matthew 14: 26-33 NIV
When the disciples saw Him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Lord, if it is you, Peter replied, tell me to come to you on the water. Come, He said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, Lord, save me! Immediately, Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” He said, why did you doubt? And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
Some of us like to take on new assignments as long as they don’t involve any risks. The truth is, many of us want to go higher; we want God to take us to the next level. We pray and talk about it almost every day. However, we think that God is going to do all the hard work, and we just have to sit and get the glow. We have forgotten that Jesus, who is the King of kings, didn’t walk this earth as the King of kings but as a lowly Servant.
Also, we have forgotten that we serve a bold and fearless Savior, who is also Lord over all. And because we serve a fearless Savior, we should not expect Him to ask us to take steps only in broad daylight but also in dark hours. Sometimes, I wonder why Jesus decided to walk on the water at night. Of all the hours of the day when He could have walked on water, why did He choose to do it at night?
And it’s not like the disciples had not seen Jesus perform miracles before. For instance, they’ve seen Jesus curse a tree, and the next morning the tree was dead. Peter said, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered” Mark 11: 21. So then why did the disciples “Cried out in fear and said, ‘It’s a ghost’ as they saw Him walking on the lake?” Matthew 14: 26. Could it be that Jesus chose to walk on the water that night to teach His disciples that He isn’t only the Messiah of the day but also the Messiah of the night?
And Jesus told His disciples, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Jesus commanded them to be courageous and fearless, but He also identified Himself to them, “It is I.” It was as if Jesus said to the disciples: “Look, I know you are not used to seeing me performing miracles in the dark, but I can do that as well.” I wonder how further along the journey we could have been if we had dared to believe that the same Jesus in charge of the day is the same in control of the night. In Matthew 14:28, Peter told Jesus, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you in the water.” Here, Peter begs Jesus for this new project, and Jesus grants him his request. Peter mastered the strength to step out of the boat and took on the new project. However, as soon as Peter saw the challenges and risks that came with the assignment, he got overwhelmed by fear and started to sink. My dear, I don’t know about you, but this sounds just like me. And I can even share a quick story with you. I remember a couple of years ago, the urge to learn to swim resurfaced. I have been planning to take a swimming class for years, but I wasn’t serious about it. When I finally decided and registered for the class, I soon realized that signing up for the swimming class was never my main problem. But my main issue was the fear of the body of water.
The fear started when I was young. I had an experience at a beach where I almost drowned. If it had not been for God, who literally pulled me up from under the water, I would not have made it. It had to be God. Until today, I still don’t know how I got pulled because I did not witness anyone pulling me up from under the water. I can’t fully explain this miracle even if I wanted to. But one thing I know for sure, it was Him who saved me.
So, I developed a fear of the body of water since then, and I didn’t even know it until I registered for the swimming class. And what felt exciting before the class began had become a nightmare, to the point where I had to drag my feet in each class because I was afraid. This is where I had to decide whether or not to drop the class. Well, in case you are wondering, I did finish the class. I’m not sure if I can swim now, and I’m not sure if I will take future swimming classes, but one thing I know is that I did finish that class despite fear. I say this to say that we may think God is holding back our purpose or the next project from us, causing a delay. When the truth is, God doesn’t have a problem releasing us into new assignments or purpose. However, the main concern is whether we’ll quit the assignment when it gets dark. That’s why God doesn’t mind taking the time to reintroduce Himself to us in challenging times. He wants us to get used to the different ways He can manifest His Power in our lives.
There are two things we also need to remember. It is important to remember that teachers will never ask their students to experiment with something they have not mastered, because teachers want to make sure they can help their students when they get stuck. If that is the case, then how true is this about Jesus, our Master Teacher? Another thing to remember is that if we want Jesus to be our Lord and the Leader of our lives, we have to know His perspective on His assignments for our lives. In Luke 9: 62, Jesus said, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God.” In other words, Jesus is saying to you and me, for Him to lead us into our purpose or our assignments, we have to be all in, bold, and fearless, whether it’s day or night seasons, just like He was when He walked this earth. And because He has no limit and still walks on water, we have to be aware that He can ask us to step out of the boat at any time. After all, Jesus is LORD over all 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
SCRIPTURES
“And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known; I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.” Isaiah 42:16
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
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