Through the Storm to Stillness
In the Boat with Jesus: Five Days of Faith, Fear, and Finding God in the Silence
Day 3: “Come!”: Getting Out of the Boat
Matthew 14:28–31
I really love St. Peter. He gets it both right and wrong, and isn't that just who we are—as sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, as people, as Christians? Sometimes we get it right, and sometimes we get it wrong.
Today, we see Peter get it right.
He didn’t stay in the boat. He had enough faith to respond when the Lord called. He heard Jesus say, “Come,” and he stepped right out of the boat and walked on the water. Peter didn't know what would happen next. He didn’t have a backup plan. He didn’t know
where the doorway was. He simply heard Jesus say, “Come,” and trusted enough to take the first step. And then he felt the wind. He heard the waves. And he faltered.
It wasn’t that Peter suddenly had no faith. For a moment, he simply shifted his attention from Jesus to the storm. He began to concentrate more on what was happening around him than on the One who had called him into the water. And there it is again: the doorway.
When the storm becomes frightening, we want an escape route. We want a backup plan. We want something we can control. Peter had stepped out in faith, but suddenly he wanted to know how this was going to end. How often do we do the same?
We take a step in faith—whether our faith is young and new or whether we have been walking with God for many years. We say yes to something God is asking of us, and then the “what ifs” begin. Before long, we're looking for our doorway again. We want a backup plan. We hedge our bets. We try to regain control. Peter began to sink. And then he did something very simple: he cried out: “Lord, save me!” Immediately, Jesus reached out His hand.
That bears repeating: He reached for him. Jesus didn’t wait for Peter to get his faith back. He didn’t wait for him to stop being afraid. He didn’t tell him to figure it out for himself. He reached for him.
And perhaps that is the most comforting part of Peter's story. Our faith does not have to be perfect for Jesus to be faithful. We may step out courageously one moment and begin to sink the next. When we do, we can cry out. And He reaches for us.
To Ponder:
Where might Jesus be saying “Come” to me, and what is keeping me from stepping out of the boat? Think of one small step of faith you have been hesitating to take. Take that step today, even if you don’t feel completely ready. You don’t have to know what comes next.
Just respond to the invitation to “Come.”
Let’s Pray:
Jesus, give me the courage to step out of the boat when You call. When I become distracted by the wind and the waves, turn my eyes back to You. And, when I begin to sink, help me remember that Your hand is already reaching for me. Amen
Wishing you Fair Skies and Following Seas,
Cecilia Carroll
Advent Square Director