Devotional

Matthew 14:22–33

Imagine you’re learning to swim.

You’re gripping the edge of the pool like it’s the last slice of pizza at a party. Your instructor stands a few feet away and says, “Let go.”

You laugh nervously. “I rebuke you ‘satan’. I am not going anywhere.” Because letting go feels like sinking.

Peter understood that feeling better than we think.

The disciples were in yet another storm. At this point, storms really did seem like their love language. The wind was loud. The boat was fighting the waves. They were stuck in the middle of the sea in the dark. This time around, there was no Jesus in the boat.

And then they saw something that made it worse.

A figure walking toward them on the water.

Not swimming. Not floating on debris….Walking.

Their first assumption wasn’t faith. It was fear. “It’s a ghost!”

But then Jesus spoke into the chaos: “Take courage. It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Before He calmed the storm, He revealed Himself.

Peter was impulsive. He was brave and slightly unfiltered. He answered, “Lord, if it’s You, tell me to come to You on the water.”

And Jesus said one word. “Come.”

That single word required Peter to do something terrifying. He had to move away from the only solid thing he knew, the boat. He had to place his weight on something that had never held a man before…water.

For a moment, he did the impossible.

His feet met the surface of the water… and it held.

Can you imagine it? The other disciples staring. The wind still blowing. The waves still moving. But Peter walking toward Jesus.

Until he noticed the wind.

That’s the turning point. Not when the storm intensified. Not when Jesus disappeared. But when Peter shifted his focus.

He saw the strength of the wind. He measured the size of the waves. He calculated the risk. Then, he began to sink.

That’s usually how it happens.

We step out in faith. We say yes to the calling. We start the business. We have the hard conversation. We trust again.

Then we look around.

The numbers don’t look good. The outcome isn’t guaranteed. The waves are still very much waves.

And fear pulls us downward.

But here’s what I love most about this story: Peter sank toward Jesus.

“Lord, save me!”. Three words full of desperation.

And immediately, Jesus reached out His hand.

Immediately.

We talk a lot about Peter’s sinking. But let’s not forget he is the only disciple who knew what it felt like to stand on a wave. He stood with nothing but the word of Jesus holding him up.

The others stayed in the boat. Safer. Drier. Still stuck in the storm.

Sometimes the miracle isn’t walking on water. It’s having the courage to leave the boat.

Your boat might be comfort. Predictability. Fear disguised as wisdom. A routine that feels safe but small.

And Jesus is still saying one word…..Come.

Faith doesn’t mean you won’t feel afraid. It means you trust His voice more than the wind.

And if you start to sink, you won’t sink alone.

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Reflection

• What boat have you been gripping tightly?
• Where might Jesus be saying, “Come”?
• Are you waiting for the wind to stop before you move?

What would it look like to take one small step toward Him this week?

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Prayer

Lord, give me courage to let go of what feels safe when You are calling me deeper. Help me fix my eyes on You instead of the waves. And if I begin to sink, thank You that Your hand reaches for me immediately. Amen.

The song – Oceans by Hillsong United is a good reminder of what to do when the storm billows. We need faith to walk on the water – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLqTZ07ja7g