"...the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary...Jesus went to them, walking on the sea...the disciples cried out for fear...immediately Jesus spoke to them saying, 'Be of good cheer! I'm here! Don't be afraid!'...and Peter said, 'Lord! If it's really you, command me to come to you on the water!'"
-Matthew 14:24-28
***
When we're in the middle of a storm, our instinctive response is, "I want out!"
When Peter was in the boat, terrified by the turbulence, his cry to Jesus was, "I want out!", even if it meant plunging into the very sea that was at the heart of the stormy seige.
Talk about "out of the frying pan, into the fire".
At that point, panic had prevailed over practicality....all he knew is, he wanted "out".
Aren't we sometimes like that? When we're really in the thick of it, anything can seem preferable to the predicament we're in....all we know is, "we want out!"
It didn't occur to Peter in the middle of his panic, that maybe Jesus was there because He wanted in.
Peter's water-walking heroics was not what Jesus intended when He came to His loved ones' rescue -- though it makes for an interesting story on Sunday mornings -- Jesus allowed Peter to get his escapist escapade out of his system, sustained him through it, and then, between the lines, we can almost hear Jesus asking, "ok, now are you ready to invite me into the boat?"...
The wind did not cease when Peter got out of the boat....the wind ceased when Jesus got into the boat.
Instead of heeding the voice of primal fear which is screaming "I want out!" and plunging ourselves into futher peril, may we have the grace to stop, to wait, to breathe, to heed instead the voice of Jesus saying "I want in"......
He is waiting to take us safely into shore.
***
"When they got into the boat, the wind ceased."
-Matthew 14:32
3 comments:
You are safer with Jesus in the boat with the storm raging, than out of the boat in the calm...
This quote is on my journal page today..."when the wind begins to blow don't lower your sails". Sometimes God takes us through the storms and if we run from them we miss the end blessing.
Not preaching here, but know the truth of this... :)
Much love to you!
Preach away, Mary! Good stuff, and love the serendipity here....off to go read your post now...
...always so encouraged by you and your words...*thank you*
it's so GOOD to be reminded
that "anywhere but here" is not
a safe place to hide,
that our refuge is
here and now in Him.
i want to learn to love
the storm
because that's where he
has me.
Oh how i needed this!
love and thanks,
Jennifer
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