PHEAR-PHOOEY

By Rick Mathes

Matthew 14:30 But seeing the wind, he became afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

Fear and doubt are sins that must immediately be repented of. They are the opposite of what Christ requires of you: trust and faith. When you fear, you doubt the Lord is in control and can handle it. WE must repent of fear, end it and run from it. Peter learned that lesson real quick as he began to sink in the deep of the sea. All he had to do was cry out “Lord save me!” and he was recovered from the deep. He had faith and trust; a complete 180 degree u-turn. It’s easy to be a Christian when its easy but you learn the truth of how deep your love goes when it get tough going.

Let’s turn our attention to the Lord’s simple command, “Come.”

That was a bold request considering the surrounding circumstances. The fishermen clearly knew that no one walks on the water not even a Super Apostle; Peter, the boldest of the Twelve, took the Lord up on this gracious invitation. The Lord gently invited Peter to a successful supernatural adventure. This is what Peter was made for so he stepped out of the boat; Wow!

Notice here that only one stepped out of the boat. The rest stayed in the boat and so it is in most churches. 10% of the church does 90% of the work. Few will rise to leadership and many will lift them up to the challenge facing them.

Sure, there was a momentary lapse of faith but Peter cried out to Jesus an earnest plea: “Lord save me!” On the immediate heels of this prayer was his speedy deliverance. The waters became cement under his feet and he and our Lord walked back and got into the boat.

Jesus couldn’t help but rebuke them for their lack of faith. After all the centuries and witnesses to the validity of keeping the faith, too many still fear and doubt. Learn from our Lord and Peter that when you earnestly cry out to Him there is always a blessed result. All it takes is faith and trust. Over the years, Jesus has proved this so many times. I rarely slip from trusting Him and obedience to His commands but I still do from time to time. It’s at that moment that I step out of the boat and reaffirm my faith in Him. Won’t you follow me?