At The Cove, we have morning devotions with our staff. These devotions are led by managers of each of the departments. We also have employees who write and share devotions from time to time. One of our managers, Michelle Coleman recently wrote a devotion entitled, “Faith to Walk on Water” that we would like to share with you.
Faith to Walk on Water
Our devotion comes from Matthew 14:22-23
“Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 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’s 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.”
What does it take to have the kind of faith that Peter had to step out of the boat and to walk on the water? When we read this passage, we sometimes see the Peter that did not focus on Christ and began to sink. However, there was the other Peter. The one that had the courage and bravery to actually step out of the boat. As we study Peter, we see a disciple that wavered in his faith at times. He was passionate, but also uncontrollable in his emotions. In this moment of stepping out of the boat, he showed his passion and his boldness in getting to God. He was the only disciple that even thought about stepping out of the boat. However, when he took his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink.
Do you remember that moment that you accepted Jesus into your heart? It was a defining moment in my life. I remember being so excited about this new relationship. I wanted to learn everything I could about Jesus. I was bold in telling others about Him and could not get enough of the Bible. This passionate enthusiasm began to diminish when I went through some tough times. I remember hitting my first “storm” a few months later and my thoughts immediately turned to the situation in front of me. I started processing how I could fix the situation. I took my eyes off Jesus and began to get overwhelmed and fearful in looking at the issues that surrounded me. When I finally turned my attention back to God in the midst of this time, I had an overwhelming sense of peace and a new perspective.
What we saw in Peter on the water was a man with a Kingdom mindset. A man who had a focus on Jesus and not on the world around him. By having this mindset, God enabled Peter to do the impossible. Peter had the strength, courage, and ability to walk on the water in the middle of the storm. When he took his eyes off Jesus, the fear set in.
I do not know what you may be going through today. What I do know is that God can give you His peace in the midst of the storm. He can give you the ability to not only get through this time, but can do greater than you can even imagine. His Word states in Proverbs 18:10:
“The name of the Lord is a fortified tower;
the righteous run to it and are safe.”
It all comes down to having a singular focus on Jesus. It is having a Kingdom mindset in every situation. Peter grew in his faith after this moment and led one of the greatest movements in history of spreading the Gospel. Later in Peter’s ministry, he was able to encourage people who were being persecuted for their faith in God. It was a very dark and painful time for Christians. Peter said to them, “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13). He pointed people back to a focus on Jesus. To “gird up the loins of your mind” meant to take every thought captive that was not from the Lord. Peter knew that the only way the people would endure this horrific time in history was to focus everything on Jesus.
As we end this devotion, a question remains. Where is your focus? Are you trusting God for every situation in your life right now? He will calm the storm and give you the tools to walk through the toughest of times. He will give you His peace when there is none.
My prayer is that you have the faith that Peter demonstrated to trust God in this season and have a singular focus on Him.
If you would like to know more about having a relationship with Jesus Christ, please click here. He loves you and has a great plan for your life.
Click here for a schedule of seminar, concerts, and retreats at The Cove in beautiful Asheville, NC.
Are you a Christian church or non-profit ministry looking for a place to hold your conference, retreat or ministry event? Click here for more information on holding your event at The Cove.
Visit the Chatlos Memorial Chapel, Visitors Center, and Ruth’s Prayer Garden. Click here for directions and operating hours. Tours are free.