Calming the "Storms"

But Jesus was quick to comfort them. “Courage, it’s me. Don’t be afraid.” Peter, suddenly bold, said, “Master, if it’s really you, call me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come ahead.” Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, “Master, save me!” Jesus didn’t hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, “Faint-heart, what got into you?” The two of them climbed into the boat, and the wind died down. ~Matthew 14:27-32 

The above passage is a very well known passage where we find Jesus walking on water and Peter having the courage to walk to Jesus but then gets frightened and unsure of what is going to happen when he realizes what is going on around him that he looses sight of Jesus and what He is doing, that he begins to find himself drowning and scared.

Ever since having heard this passage preached on last Sunday and going through a devotion, I am left wondering, where are our “Peter” moments? Meaning, where have we seen ourselves walking toward Jesus and then realize the “storms” around us that we loose sight of Jesus being right in front of us and we begin to sink? Where are the areas that we are asking, “what if” since that’s what Peter did. He essentially said, “I will leave the familiar and safety of the boat and what I know and come to you where I couldn’t go on my own” however when he realized what was going on and the trials (the waves), he started to ask, “what if” and found himself uncertain about his choice to step out on the water.

I feel like I can resonate with Peter in this story, I left my familiar behind when I came to Texas and told God that I would go where He was at and where He was calling me. I essentially said, “If you say to go, then I will go even if it is somewhere that I wouldn’t have seen myself going before” and God said, “GO!” and while things were great for a while, over time I have started to see the “storms” and have started to ask “what if?” 

With some possible transitions, I am left with seeing the waves rise up and I feel like I am drowning. I am praying for certainty in the uncertainty and praying that conversations and events have gone according to God’s will. Since being in Texas, it’s been a continuous thought and feeling that God was leading me down a specific path yet it has taken stepping away from the familiar and the routine to say, “God if you want this to happen then make it happen and don’t let me put it off… If you say do this then tell me and I will listen.” Yet once it got to a point where I found myself at the point of having to surrender to God and bring up what I have been feeling, some was reaffirmed yet instantly after thinking about it, I started to ask, “what if?” I am still in the “what if?” stage of what is currently taking place since I can’t see the bigger picture and I can’t see how things will evolve yet right now is when I feel God asking, “Faint-heart, what got into you?”

Right now is one of those times where you know God has been laying something on your heart and you knew it would come out eventually but it didn’t happen as planned yet you know that it had to of happen according to God’s plan and his timing yet in the midst of it, all you see if the waves and the uncertainty.

  

Jesus reached out His hand and caught Peter in the midst of his uncertainty when all he could see was the waves coming at him. He couldn’t see the bigger of picture of what was taking place or what God was doing yet he knew he had to look to Jesus and ask for help. Today, I am asking Jesus for help and to give me a since of certainty that things has recently went according to His plan and not mine. I see the “waves” in the questions that I have that currently have no answers and in the bigger picture of how things will work out that I can’t see yet I have to have peace and know that Jesus is saying, “I’ve got you and will catch you!” 

“God will catch you even if you fail if you boldly follow where He leads” I honestly feel like what has taken place this weekend was where God was leading me and has been placing a desire in me that He has been nourishing and waiting for the time for His to be expressed and released yet just like Peter, I said, “I will do it if you lead me and tell me to but Lord catch me in the moment since all I see are the waves and uncertainties of what just happened.” It’s cold boldness since it takes a step of faith and trust in God and discerning (spending time with Him) to truly hear His voice and see where He is leading you and what He is calling you to do…

It’s better to be Peter and take that step of faith and trusting God rather than just being a spectator and remaining in the boat and allowing things to go by and only going through the motions rather than truly embracing what God has for you.

If there's anything I can be praying for you about, please let me know and feel free to leave a comment and thankc for reading and continuing to follow me on this journey that God has placed me on!

Prayer requests:

• Pray for there to be certainty in the uncertainty
• Pray for peace of mind in regards to the direction that I have been feeling God leading me
• Pray for my family during tribulation that some are facing
• Pray for God to continue working in and through the Dallas Leadership Foundation and myself
• Pray for redirection when things may fail
• Pray that the Youth Leadership Movement department finds a place to have “Spark” Camp this summer for students and youth
• Pray for me as I continue training for a 5K race and for God to place me where He wants
• Pray that God would be in every conversation that takes place in regards to changes that may take place
• Pray for the Neighborhood Community Development department as we continue to engage in conversation with neighborhood residents and leaders and show/ share the hope in Christ to them