And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. Matthew 14:25-29

There is more to this story, but I want to focus on the first part of this story.

There are many things I’ve done in my life that I thought that I had no courage or strength for. Even the fact that I am living in Africa at the moment is beyond something I could’ve done in my own strength or good ideas. Jesus strategically beckons me to come to Him wherever He is. There are times that I am quite confined to my “boat” and my ideals. Then Jesus comes along and shows me something beyond my boat. I call out like Peter did and if I know it is in fact Him, I have empowerment to take a step.

Often we stay in our comfort zones, our ideals of who Jesus is and where He is. When we find Him and He calls out to us, we’re often afraid to step out.

How strange and bizarre it must have looked for Peter to walk on water. Can you imagine what Peter would’ve thought if he had been told a week prior that he would walk with Jesus on water? It would’ve seemed inconceivable. Yet, it’s in those odd happenings like this that we can often find our Lord. He is there on the water challenging our thinking and ways of logically following Him.

What boats are holding you captive? What are the “walking on water” experiences Jesus wants you to walk in? Are you positioned in a place to hear Him calling to you? Have you overlooked seemingly impossible scenarios because it wouldn’t make sense to find Jesus there?

Jesus tells Peter,”Take heart, it is I, don’t be afraid”. With this assurance, Peter is filled with bravery to do something that’s never been done before and meet with Jesus in a remarkable historic way.

Jesus never said following Him would be easy. Most times, our steps of faith are difficult and require leaning upon His commands. He makes us brave and able to walk on the waves of this life.

“You make me brave. You call me out beyond the shore onto the waves…”