Daily Devotional Pt. 2 for Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Well, I pray that your day has started off well. Today, we pick up where we left off yesterday. It is one of the most famous stories in the Bible involving Jesus and His disciples. Please take time to read the Scripture below:

Matthew 14:22-36, “Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that His disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while He sent the people home. (23) After sending them home, He went up into the hills by Himself to pray. Night fell while He was there alone. (24) Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. (25) About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. (26) When the disciples saw Him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” (27) But Jesus spoke to them at once.“Don’t be afraid,” He said. “Take courage. I am here!” (28) Then Peter called to Him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to You, walking on the water.” (29) “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. (30) But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. (31) Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt Me?” (32) When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. (33) Then the disciples worshiped Him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed. (34) After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. (35) When the people recognized Jesus, the news of His arrival spread quickly throughout the whole area, and soon people were bringing all their sick to be healed. (36) They begged Him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of His robe, and all who touched Him were healed” (ESV).

When it was around 3:00 AM, the disciples had been fighting this storm for hours — probably around nine hours which should have taken them usually 25 minutes to cross the Sea of Galilee at the very northern tip. These are expert fishermen, but due to the gale force of the winds and the power of the waves have been pushing them further and further out onto this sea. They are exhausted of energy, hope and determination. It seems they have in essence succumb to their fate. 

The Bible says this beginning in verse 25, “About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. (26) When the disciples saw Him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” (ESV). Who can expect them to think anything else? It is lightning, thundering, gale force winds. As Jesus comes walking on the water at 3:00 AM, a lighting bolt only lights up that area for a few seconds and then the light is gone. Jesus is the last one they are expecting to see out on the water because He told them He was going into the hills to pray.

Mark’s Gospel adds this tidbit in Mark 6:48, “And He saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them” (ESV). The Greek New Testament word used for “ghost” here is [φάντασμα, phantasma], from which we get out English word "phantom." The same word is used in Luke 23:37 when Jesus appeared to His disciples in the Upper Room — “But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost!” (ESV). Unfortunately, there are those “Bible scholars” — being sarcastic here — who argue that the disciples only thought they saw Jesus coming towards them walking on the water. 

That doesn’t account for two things: first, all 12 disciples report that is what they saw. It would almost impossible to think that all 12 simultaneously reported that they thought the saw Jesus coming towards them walking on the water. Second, how do you account for Jesus getting in the boat with them? If it wasn’t Jesus coming towards them walking on the water, then why tell that He got in the boat with them? Either this story is true as reported or it is a big lie. Yet Mark reports this in March 6:50, “For they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid’” (ESV). They all saw Him — all 12 of them.

Seeing their fear, exhaustion and hopelessness, Jesus quickly moved into action.  Look at verse 27, “But Jesus spoke to them at once.“Don’t be afraid,” He said. “Take courage. I am here!” (ESV). Meaning — seeing Jesus and hearing His voice was enough to calm their fears. It was time to immediately calm this storm. Yes, Jesus could have from shore calmed this storm, but He wanted to teach His disciples a bigger lesson by them personally seeing it and experiencing it. He wanted to teach them that He loved them, had come to rescue them and that He was God in human flesh. It was God who had acted on their behalf.

There are a couple of lessons here that Christian pastor and author John MacArthur reminds all of us to learn and remember (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, “Matthew,” p. 441).

1. We will never find ourselves in a place where Christ cannot find us; and no storm is too severe for Him to save us from it. He protects His own, whom He will never fail or forsake (Josh. 1:5; Heb. 13:5). 
2. The lesson for the disciples is the lesson for us: There is no reason for God’s people to fear. There is no reason for anxiety, no matter how hopeless and threatening our problems seem to be. Life is often stormy and painful, often threatening and frightening. Some believers suffer more than others, but all suffer at some time and in some way. 
3. In spite of that, the storm is never so severe, the night never so black, and the boat never so frail that we risk danger beyond our Father’s care. Because the disciples were faithful to obey Jesus to row out into the night into a storm they sensed was coming, Jesus honored their faithfulness.
4. When believers are in the place of obedience they are in the place of safety, no matter what the circumstances. The place of security is not the place of favorable circumstance but the place of obedience to God’s will.

We always joke or suggest that Peter is one to always put his foot in his mouth. As a young disciple, whatever hit his mind, came out of his mouth. Here is another good example of that. 

Look at Matthew 14, 28-31, “Then Peter called to Him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to You, walking on the water.” (29) “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. (30) But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. (31) Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said” (ESV).

It is clear that Peter knew it was Jesus walking on the water, not some ghost. But I would like to give Peter a break here. Yes, at times he was brash and impetuous and that got him into trouble sometimes, even with Jesus. Peter had fished this sea more times that he could count. That means it took more than brashness to get out of the boat and attempt to walk on the water. Think about it — not one of the other disciples tried to to do this — except Peter. 

I like to think that Peter was being impetuous here, but only in the sense of seeing his Lord, the sea calmed, now in the safety of Jesus, he did this overjoyed at seeing and wanting to be with Jesus. Peter did not jump out on his own, he said to Jesus in verse 28, “Then Peter called to Him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to You, walking on the water” (ESV). 

The Greek New Testament word translated as “tell” is [κελεύω, kaleuo] and it literally means “command.” Peter was not going to be impulsive here on his own. He knew that since Jesus could calm the storm, Jesus could give him the ability to walk on the water to Him. Peter was not attempting to do something spectacular, but he simply wanted to get to Jesus right then.

We all know of the times Peter failed His Lord, but due to the grace of God, Peter was not defined by his failure, but by his faith. Yes, he denied knowing Jesus 3 times, but tradition has it that when he was being crucified by Rome, he requested being put on the cross upside down, not feeling worthy to die in the same way as his Lord. Most scholars believe that of all the disciples, including John the youngest of the disciples, it was Peter who was the closest to Jesus. They base this on how in every list of the disciples, Peter’s name is first. 

Like us sometimes, we do not comprehend at first the magnitude of a choice, Peter did not either. Look at verses 29-31, “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. (30) But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. (31) Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt Me?” (ESV). 

Aren’t we at times so like Peter. We enough faith to get out of the boat, but not enough faith to carry us across the “sea of life.” Peter’s cry represents the cries of all the disciples in that boat. The Greek New Testament word translated as “doubt” is [διστάζω, distazo], which means refers to idea of “trying to go in two different directions at once or of serving two different masters simultaneously." Having lost his initial faith, Peter is unable to go on, begins to sink, and must be rescued. Peter while walking forgot Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other” (ESV).

Faith can only be strengthened when it is tested to the extremes. This is basic to our Christian maturity and growth in Christ. This is what the Book of James affirmed in James 1:12, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him” (ESV). What this story teaches me is that Jesus Christ, our Lord, will take our Fatih as far as it will go and when we being to sink, and we call out to Him, He extends His hand to lift us up.

Have you ever jumped into the ocean or a pool fully clothed? It is hard to swim because once wet, your clothes become heavier, making it harder to swim. Peter thought he was going to drown and immediately after calling out to Jesus, Jesus rescued him. Yet, Jesus said something to Peter that had to pierce Peter’s heart. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt Me?” I understand Peter’s doubt. He had never been in this kind of situation before and maybe walking some feet on water added to his shock. But the way I look at it, Peter’s weak faith was better than no faith at all. 

Maybe this is why years later Peter wrote these words in 1 Peter 1:6-7, “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, (7) so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (ESV). 

The scripture affirms that just as soon as Jesus rescued Peter and they both got into the boat, the storm immediately stopped and not only that, something else happened they were totally unaware of that John reports in John 6:21, “Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going” (ESV). Somehow in an instance, between 3-4 miles out to sea, they were instantaneously at the shore. They were amazed at this and Mark Gospel tells us why they were amazed at being immediately at the shore. Read Mark 6:52, “For they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened” (ESV).

This event changed their hearts. Matthew 14:33 says this, “Then the disciples worshiped Him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed” (ESV). They have gone from fear, to fight, to amazement to worship. They are slowing beginning to see Jesus for Who He is. The question is, do we?

As we wrap up here, I would like to share with some words of application:

1. First, all of us are going to go through some dark periods in our lives where we feel we are totally alone. We are not. Jesus has promised us this in Matthew 28:20b, Jesus said, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (ESV). The Bible says Jesus said this in Hebrews 13:5b-6, “And be content with what you have, for He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (ESV). Jesus said this to His disciples and to us in John 14:18a, “I will not leave you as orphans” (ESV). We have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in us and no matter how dark it is, the “Light of the world” resides in us always .
2. Just like the disciples saw no end in the storm the were in that night, storms do stop. When we find ourselves in a storm, whether it is physical or emotional or psychological or spiritual or a combination of them, we tend to ask, “When will this end?” Or “How long is this going to continue?” 

• • I understand. I had an acute stroke in the Fall of 2019 and learned then I had suffered a previous one in 2018. And then in October 2023 I had a third stroke and then in November 2024 a fourth stroke. I have been trying to get a medical answer to why these strokes keep returning. I was put on Eliquis, which is totally effective in preventing strokes. So, why have I had two more since 2019? In other words, when will I be out of this storm of being in the dark about the cause of these strokes? I really feel this darkness of not knowing will end soon. All darknesses end. They do.
  • So what do we do in the in-between. We trust Jesus Christ because He knows what is going on in our lives. Faith in God means we know He has everything under control and though we may experience fear of death as Peter did when he began to sink, Jesus is there to pick us up. This means to me that God not only determines how long the storm lasts, but also how powerful the the storm is. 

3. Chuck Swindoll writes this (Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary, “Matthew,” p. 318).

“Though we may initially take noble steps of faith and experience a boost of confidence, we often lose sight of our Lord, falter, and fall. But even when we begin to sink, we sink into His arms. I know there’s nothing more horrifying than the feeling that we’re drowning in the overwhelming floods of life. But instead of responding in panic and doubt, reach out to Him. Take His hand. Let Him strengthen and encourage you . . . None of these tests are designed to finish us off—not the dark nights, not the raging storms, not even those moments when we think we’ll drown. Rather, these experiences are designed to drive us to our knees in prayer and to lift our eyes to the Lord in worship. At these times, we need to see the unseen, to walk by faith. As we do, we will realize that there’s more going on than what we see in the trial itself. God’s bringing us to our knees … and to Himself.”

I love this story from William Barclay. He writes this touching story (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series, “Matthew,” p. 107).

“The great truth is that, wherever Jesus Christ is, the wildest storm becomes a calm. Olive Wyon, in her book Consider Him, quotes a thing from the letters of St. Francis of Sales. St. Francis had noticed a custom of the country districts in which he lived. He had often noticed a farm servant going across a farmyard to draw water at the well; he also noticed that, before she lifted the brimming pail, the girl always put a piece of wood into it. One day he went out to the girl and asked her, “Why do you do that?” She looked surprised and answered, as if it were a matter of course, “Why? to keep the water from spilling … to keep it steady!” Writing to a friend later on, the bishop told this story and added: “So when your heart is distressed and agitated, put the Cross into its centre to keep it steady!” In every time of storm and stress, the presence of Jesus and the love which flows from the Cross bring peace and serenity and calm.”

Questions to Consider

1. These disciples had been with Jesus for over two years and personally witnessed all kinds of miracles and they still doubted and their faith was weak. Would you say your faith has increased over the years in your walk with Christ or is it about the same or less and why?
2. When have there been times you felt Jesus had abandoned you to some storm and why?
3. Some people criticize Peter for taking his eyes off of Jesus and sinking, but the truth is — he was the only one willing to ask Jesus to tell him to come to Him. None of the other disciples attempted this. So, what does this tell you about Peter and about yourself?
4. Faith is like a muscle. It has to be tested, stretch and push to the limits. When has Jesus Christ done this to you? What did you learn?
5. You read several passages above from Jesus where He promises us He is always with us. We are never alone. NEVER! So, why do we act like we are at times? Why do you?
6. Somehow in rescuing Peter, Jesus rescued all the disciples in that boat. We read that at some as Jesus pulled Peter up into the boat, the boat immediately reached the shore. What does that tell you and why?
7. Is there enough evidence to prove to God that you trust Jesus when all his bleak, dark, stormy and that God is in control when everything in you shouts differently? 

Scripture To Meditate On: Matthew 14:33, “Then the disciples worshiped Him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed” (ESV). 

Prayer To Pray: “Dear Jesus, You know me better than I know myself. You know what creates fear and anxiety in my life — my unwillingness to trust You with the unknown. Jesus, I do not want to be a slave or victim to my fears, doubts and personal storms. I want to walk above and over them. This means I either do believe You are God or I don’t. There is no middle ground here. I praise You that when I doubt and begin to sink, You are there to lift me up. Please forgive me for my times of doubt and I let the darkness overwhelm me. I want to be like Job, when Job said, “The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Please help me be like that. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”

 l love you, Pastor Kelly