How to walk on water when your faith is tested

Everyone faces storms in life. It is not a question of "if," but only a question of "when" you will encounter your next storm. The other unknown is the severity of the next storm you will face.

Some disturbances are like a loud thunderstorm resulting in little damage, while others are like a massive hurricane leaving tremendous devastation in its wake. Pastor Warren Wiersbe (1929-2019) said, "Life's trials are not easy. But in God's will, each has a purpose. Often He uses them to enlarge you."

Case in point: Jesus tested the faith of His disciples one time while they were out in a boat "during the fourth watch of the night" (3am - 6am). Jesus had "gone up into the hills by Himself to pray," while the disciples were "already a considerable distance from land and being buffeted by the waves ... Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw Him walking on the lake, they were terrified" (Matthew 14:23-26).

It was the middle of the night, which is typically when fears are magnified by strange sights and sounds that seemingly come out of nowhere. Children sometimes experience "night terrors," similar to nightmares experienced by adults. Martin Luther held the opinion that nightmares come from demons, and I agree with him. The best way to prevent nightmares is to ask God to apply the blood of Jesus to your sleep, or the sleep of your child. "There is power in the blood," as the old hymn reminds us.

Back to our story. In the midst of their panic, the disciples "cried out in fear," saying, "It's a ghost" (v. 26). Try to put yourself in their shoes. How would you have felt? In response to their intense fear, "Jesus immediately said to them, 'Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid'" (v. 27).

This story reveals the compassionate nature of our Savior. He instantly wanted to comfort His followers in the midst of their distress. You see, Jesus derives no pleasure from His children being afraid. But the Lord is happy and greatly pleased when we are "strong and courageous" (Joshua 1:9) and stand firm in faith in the midst of the storm.

The Lord understands our weaknesses yet loves us still the same. Jesus empathizes with us and wants to relieve our anxiety and replace unpleasant feelings of dread with calm confidence. When we meditate upon Christ's words of encouragement, our faith is strengthened, and our fear begins to dissipate. Take a moment and contemplate these powerful words from the Savior once more: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid" (v. 27).

By keeping our eyes on Jesus, we receive strength in our souls and a measure of calmness only available to those who trust in the Lord. Every other approach to defeating fear comes up short because it leaves God out of the equation.

Peter experienced a burst of faith when he heard those words from the Messiah. So much so that Peter confidently announced, "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you" (v. 28). Would you or I have had faith strong enough to say such a thing? Possibly, but Peter was apparently the only disciple in the boat willing to take that huge step of faith.

Jesus responded to Peter's request with a simple invitation: "Come" (v. 29). This word is used repeatedly in Scripture when people are invited to bring their sins, fears and burdens to the Lord. For example, Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

Peter was filled with faith, and he took a big step in faith! "Then Peter got down out of the boat and walked on the water to Jesus" (v. 29). We don't know how many steps Peter took but make no mistake about it: Peter was literally walking on the water! 

God also empowers His people to step out in faith and accomplish great things for the Lord which they could never have accomplished through their own power and strength.

Have you ever stepped out of the boat and started to walk on water, so to speak? If you are a believer, then I know one time for sure when it happened in your life. The moment you trusted Jesus to forgive your sins and be your Savior, you stepped out of the boat of unbelief by the grace of God. And you have been walking on water ever since as a forgiven child of God.

Peter should be commended for stepping out of the boat, in spite of the fact that "when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" (v. 30) Like Peter, we can easily begin to doubt when our circumstances become intense. But the moment we call out to Jesus, the Lord does for us what He did for Peter: "Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him" (v. 31).

What a mighty, merciful and loving God we serve! Jesus saves sinners and calms storms! After telling Peter, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" (v. 31). Jesus immediately calmed the storm. "And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down" (v. 32).

Whenever your next storm occurs, you will have the opportunity to step out of the boat and walk on water the way Peter did. If you find yourself sitting terrified in the boat, or beginning to sink after initially walking on water, simply call on Jesus to rescue you. Thankfully, our Lord is faithful, even in those times when our faith falters.