This morning while driving to work I was pondering about the goodness of God. I thought about the storms that we have in life and that sometimes when storms arrive in our lives that they are not always the enemy. God may be allowing things to happen to strengthen our trust in him. “Trust the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5). As I was meditating on the thought. The event with Peter walking on water rose in my spirit. A storm was occurring when the disciples saw someone in the distance. They became terrified because they thought it was a ghost, and they cried out in fear. “But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Peter still unsure, but having a relationship with the Lord said, “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” And Jesus said to him, Come. Peter stepped out of the boat at the Lord’s command and walked on water towards Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out Lord, save me!” Peter’s fear magnified because he took his eyes off Jesus. He stopped focusing on the Savior and started focusing on the storm. He started to pay more attention to what was going on around him than to the one who called him.
Yes, it matters where your focus is when you are walking with God. There will be times when the walk gets scary because the storms are roaring louder than the Savior. But remember that the one who called you is faithful. (1st Thessalonians 5:24). Your perception is everything in life. How do you view what you are seeing? Peter could have allowed the storm to keep him from reacting to the Lord’s command. He could have ignored the grace that was granted to him to walk on water. But hearing from Jesus he stepped out of fear into faith to find that amid the storm the Lord was there. “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” I believe the storm was used in this event to strengthen the faith of Peter so that when Jesus left the world, he would know no matter what comes, the Lord is with me. “I will never leave you nor will I forsake you.”
Our focus is so important when going through life. What we see often shapes our mindset and encourages what we become. Keeping our minds stayed on Jesus keeps us in perfect peace. And to keep our minds we must fix our sight. The more we focus on God the better we are at trusting in him as we journey with him. Faith is the substance of things hoped for but the evidence of things unseen. Faith is a muscle that must be exercised to be built up. If you don’t find the opportunities to walk in faith, then you will never see the goodness or the greatness of God who has called us to walk by faith and not by sight. Peter asked for what was granted to him. However, it would take faith for him to see it. It’s going to take us stepping out of our comfort zone into the confrontations of life to see the unseen manifest. We are overcomers, but we cannot overcome what we have conformed to unless we seek opportunities that allow us to do so. Faith can only be caught if you are focused on who’s leading. “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” (Hebrews
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