Have you ever read a story in the Bible that made you feel a little “uncomfortable”? If you’re like me, maybe you tend to put yourself in the Bible character’s shoes and imagine what they experienced. For example, Jonah in the belly of the whale (yuck!). Or even the one that is currently making me feel nervous…the story of Peter walking on water with Jesus. While this Bible story is a favorite of many, including myself, it’s also one that makes me SO nervous!
I have a very active imagination. Years ago, I watched the movie “The Perfect Storm.” It had me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole movie. I almost felt sea-sick watching it. That boat, rocking on those horrific waves, tossing people off the boat left and right, those poor souls lost at sea. I had a whole new understanding of the storms described in Matthew and Mark in the New Testament.
Jesus And The Storm
Let’s look at what the Bible says about Jesus and the storms. In Mark 4:35-41, a storm described as a “furious squall” came up, and the waves were breaking over the boat! My imagination tells me it was similar to “The Perfect Storm.” And where is Jesus during these crashing waves and all that noise? He was sleeping! The disciples had to wake him up because they desperately needed his help. I’m sure they feared for their lives! But Jesus just rebuked that storm, and the wind died down, the sea completely calm. This piece of scripture tells us of the great authority Jesus has, how He can calm every storm in our lives. He is always with us. We don’t need to be afraid. But do you know what really hits me in the gut? Jesus asked them why they were so afraid. He asked them, “Do you still have no faith?”. Again, if I put myself in those shoes of the disciples, I’m pretty sure I would be terrified. If I’m being honest, my faith would probably be even tinier than a mustard seed as I’m being tossed about on a boat with crashing waves.
Over in Matthew 14:22-33, we see the boat at a great distance offshore, dealing with more wind and waves. Jesus decided to take a walk on the rough waters, terrifying the disciples as they saw what they thought was a ghost. Jesus tried to tell them not to be afraid and revealed that it was Him, not a scary ghost. Peter apparently wasn’t so sure and decided to test the Lord. Here is my favorite part that turns my stomach into nervous butterflies. Jesus tells Peter, “Come.” Peter steps off the boat, out onto the water. He actually started to walk toward Jesus on the water! But when he saw the wind and waves, he was afraid again and began to sink. He cried out, “Lord, save me!” and Jesus grabbed his hand to catch him and scolded him for having little faith and doubting him. WOW!
Would You Step Off The Boat?
Try to imagine you are Peter. Would you even step off that boat? The Lord led me to watch another movie, “The Shack”. I had read the book and watched the movie before. But He wanted me to watch it again. I argued with the Lord because that movie made me cry the ugliest blubbery cry. It was painful for me to watch. I didn’t want to watch it again but The Lord persisted, and I settled in with my box of tissues and watched it again.
If you have never seen this movie, I won’t spoil it for you. But as I watched it, we found the lead character, Mack, out on a lake in a tiny boat. He was suddenly paralyzed by fear, thinking that he saw his child drowning. His boat started to fill with water and sink, yet he was still frozen with fear. Suddenly Jesus appears on the water and calls out to him. Mack was so terrified that he couldn’t take his eyes off the boat filling up with water. Jesus persistently called to him to look at Him. Finally, Mack looks at Jesus. They lock eyes and Mack’s fear starts to vanish.
Suddenly, I’m not sitting on my couch watching the movie anymore. I am Mack! Jesus is telling me to step off that sinking boat and to walk out onto the water with Him! Just like Mack, I am thinking to myself “I can’t walk on water! I’ll sink!” But as Jesus encouraged me to step out, I very timidly took one foot off the boat. I very slowly put the very tip of my toes onto the water to “test it”. This is where I am stuck in life right now. I’m in the transition from stepping off the sinking boat and onto the water with Jesus.
What Jesus Is Telling Me
I know that Jesus loves me. He doesn’t want me to be stuck in the status quo of life. He wants so much more for me. Sometimes we must step out of our comfort zone and obey the Lord, even when what He leads us to do is scary! Will we trust Him fully? Will we look back in fear or will we lock eyes with our beautiful Savior and follow His lead?
What is your story? What is Jesus telling you to do that you are afraid of? Are you on a sinking boat like Mack? Or did you already step out to walk with Jesus only to look at the circumstances and get back into fear?
My prayer for you is this: “Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for the person reading this blog post right now. I ask you to open the eyes of their understanding. I ask you to release them from all fear and anxiety. I ask you to release them from all doubt that is holding them back. I ask you to fill them with a renewed faith in YOU, Father God! Give them the courage to step out of the boat and walk on water with you! Help them to leave their past behind and walk boldly into the destiny that you have for them. Bring them peace in the midst of their storms. Show them your love and mercy. In Jesus name, amen”.
I’m Melissa Momcilovich, owner of WOW Content Creation. I am a Virtual Expert® who specializes in content marketing, blogging, copywriting, and all things wordy. I help Natural Health & Wellness Professionals and Coaches with their content writing needs. I also love working with Life Coaches, Christian ministries, and other entrepreneurs who inspire and help others transform their lives! My dream is to add Christian fiction author to my resume! I’m a wife, Mama Bear, coffee drinking cat lover! My family and I love trips to the beach, nature walks and worship concerts.