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November 9 And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” Matthew 14:29,30. This is a well-known story, but it contains a message for us all. When the Lord calls us we are indeed to come, and at least Peter did just that. It was no small feat to climb over the rail of the boat and drop into the water. And he actually walked successfully while his eyes were on Jesus. We are to do the same thing. So Peter’s faith, whether it be in Jesus or in the power that Jesus gave him, it was a marvelous thing. Peter placed his faith upon the correct object, Jesus. And then we read, “But seeing the wind, he became afraid.” And here we see ourselves as we take our eyes off Jesus. It is a simple thing, but we do it so often. My friends, we are never to take our spiritual eyes off Jesus. The world will constantly beckon us to do that, but that choice will lead to fear and failure. We are to look for Him in our finances, in our work and play, in our relationships with our neighbors, in our parenting, and in service to others. What does it mean to look for Jesus? I believe it is to ask ourselves, “What would Jesus do?” I believe we are to ask how Jesus would handle a particular problem—how He would speak to a neighbor and serve him. I believe it involves seeking the will of the Father in whatever we do. The Holy Spirit is our guide through all of these decisions, and He will always seek to reveal more of Christ to us. We sometimes learn by our mistakes, but that never detracts from God’s love for us. We are to make continual progress in these areas of life, all the while becoming more and more molded into His image. Father, thank You for the gift of faith that allows us to follow Jesus. May we see Him more clearly each day of our lives. We thank You for Your grace that makes all of this possible. Amen. |
