My entire life has been filled with “stepping out of the boat” moments. Hope is Restored is one of those moments. A moment where you abandon all doubt, a moment where you block out the naysayers, a moment where you are not concerned with the storm brewing around you, a moment that takes courage and boldness, a moment where you allow God to do the impossible.
He said, “Come!” So Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. Matthew 14:29
I am a visual person, and the way I envision this story unfolding is like this Peter and the disciples watched miracle after miracle; they just watched Jesus feed the multitudes of people. Jesus sent the disciples on ahead of Him so he could be alone to pray.
The disciples got in the boat to travel ahead of Jesus. As they were crossing, a storm came up against them. Now, these were fishermen and knew how to navigate through storms; however, they were shook. So this tells me this was not an ordinary storm; it was bigger than usual, waves crashing against and shaking the boat, the wind blowing. Then out of nowhere, here comes what appears to be a man walking on water. They thought it was a ghost. After walking with Jesus and having a front-row seat to witness the miraculous, they still did not recognize Jesus in the midst of the storm. How many of us have had a storm come at us with such force, a storm that is so brutal we can’t see what is in front of us, a storm where we question if God is really in it with us? Jesus said, “Be brave, and don’t be afraid, I am here with you” Peter being Peter shouts out Lord, if that is you have me join you on the water. He said, “come” The next part is where things get crazy for Peter. At that moment, he was faced with the choice to step out of the comfort of the boat, out to the unknown.
He had the choice to listen to the naysayers around him screaming, “Peter, are you crazy? You cant walk on water,” “Peter, your too heavy you will sink,” “Peter, it is impossible” I am sure self-doubt at that moment started creeping in. Peter, for a split second, maybe listened to the voices around him but remembered he was a fighter and decided against all odds to trust Jesus and took a step of faith out of the boat. God is looking for our “YES,” Like with Peter, He will do the rest.