40 Days of Praise - Day 31
Day 31
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 14:28–29
Teachable moments. Every excellent teacher, every life-changing mentor is aware of those moments when the past and the present conspire to create an opportunity for a concept or a lesson to be grasped and assimilated with a clarity that had not been accessible until that instant.
Jesus had sent his disciples out by twos to do what they had seen Him do — preach, heal, deliver and resurrect. When they returned, he immersed them into an even more intense mode of ministry: they had ministered to one person at a time; now they would minister to thousands. Knowing that they handed Jesus two small fish and five tennis ball sized loaves, from His hands they carried basket full after basket full of fish and bread until close to 20,000 mouths had been filled and satisfied. The disciples were awestruck, not just that Jesus had done this, but that He had included them in it, just as He had when He preached and healed and delivered and resurrected.
Exhausted, they got into the boat at Jesus’ urging and starting rowing across the lake. In the midst of the storm that stranded them in the middle of the lake in the middle of the night and at the end of their wits, Jesus showed up to rescue them, walking on the water.
After they stopped screaming, Peter got the idea that, if Jesus had them do the other stuff that He had done, why wouldn't Jesus have him walk on the water? He asked. Jesus simply said, “Come."
How else would Peter learn to trust Jesus in the days to come, when he was to lead the team that would launch the Church? Peter understood that Jesus was teaching by example and he wanted to try. And Jesus was for it!
The other eleven stayed dry. But Jesus affirmed Peter’s desire to literally step out in faith. Had Peter not risked it, he would never have seen what faith in Jesus could do. Had Jesus not said, “Come,” there would be no story to tell.
Paul said to Timothy,
Jesus didn’t nurture timidity. He didn’t remind Peter of what could go wrong. He encouraged him to boldly step out.
Because Jesus had him.
Charles M. Butler
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 14:28–29
Teachable moments. Every excellent teacher, every life-changing mentor is aware of those moments when the past and the present conspire to create an opportunity for a concept or a lesson to be grasped and assimilated with a clarity that had not been accessible until that instant.
Jesus had sent his disciples out by twos to do what they had seen Him do — preach, heal, deliver and resurrect. When they returned, he immersed them into an even more intense mode of ministry: they had ministered to one person at a time; now they would minister to thousands. Knowing that they handed Jesus two small fish and five tennis ball sized loaves, from His hands they carried basket full after basket full of fish and bread until close to 20,000 mouths had been filled and satisfied. The disciples were awestruck, not just that Jesus had done this, but that He had included them in it, just as He had when He preached and healed and delivered and resurrected.
Exhausted, they got into the boat at Jesus’ urging and starting rowing across the lake. In the midst of the storm that stranded them in the middle of the lake in the middle of the night and at the end of their wits, Jesus showed up to rescue them, walking on the water.
After they stopped screaming, Peter got the idea that, if Jesus had them do the other stuff that He had done, why wouldn't Jesus have him walk on the water? He asked. Jesus simply said, “Come."
How else would Peter learn to trust Jesus in the days to come, when he was to lead the team that would launch the Church? Peter understood that Jesus was teaching by example and he wanted to try. And Jesus was for it!
The other eleven stayed dry. But Jesus affirmed Peter’s desire to literally step out in faith. Had Peter not risked it, he would never have seen what faith in Jesus could do. Had Jesus not said, “Come,” there would be no story to tell.
Paul said to Timothy,
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:6-7, NIV 1984)
Jesus didn’t nurture timidity. He didn’t remind Peter of what could go wrong. He encouraged him to boldly step out.
Because Jesus had him.
Charles M. Butler
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