Focus & Prayer

Worshipping with a small group of Christians this morning we became involved in a discussion of Matthew 14. We had been reminded that Peter was doing fine walking on the water until he turned his eyes away from the Lord. 

I’ve studied that text, taught it, and preached it numerous times over the years. However, in reading it and discussing it again this morning, something jumped out at me that previously had been lost to me. I’m certain that many of you scholars who are reading this have seen it before. So, just by way of reminder, there’s something that seems really big to me in this text.

There is no way for us to know the distance from the boat to the place where Jesus was walking on the water. Peter jumps out of the boat and begins walking toward our Lord. Only after he “sees” the winds, does he lose his focus on the Savior.

As Peter began to sink, could not the Master have stopped the winds immediately? But He doesn’t. When Peter calls out to Him, Christ immediately reaches for Peter’s hand. Then they walk back to the boat together, on the water, through the storm, and only after they get in the boat does the storm cease blowing. 

We don’t know how long it took them to walk back to that boat. It is true that sometimes the Lord chooses to calm the storm, either on the sea or in our soul. On other occasions, Jesus just takes our hand, and walks with us to safety! It is also true that it was only after Peter changed his focus that he began to sink.

What about it, preacher? Do you feel overwhelmed by life? Does it seem as if the storm is raging around and within? Is everything happening in our world today causing you to lose your focus on Christ?

We can pray for Him to bring peace. Nothing at all wrong with that. We can also pray that He will take our hand and walk with us through whatever we are enduring until we are safe in the boat with Him!