“But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Matthew 14:30.
This verse is from a very familiar incident where Jesus comes walking on the sea to the boat where the disciples were. After Peter recognizes who He is, he tells Jesus to command him to go out on the water and walk to Him. When Jesus did, he immediately got out and walked out to Jesus. However, when he looked around and saw the wind and the rough waters, he began to sink, and he cried out for Jesus to save him. Reaching out, He grabbed him and asked why he had doubted, thereby showing a lack of faith. I have found myself, at times, looking at winds and waves, and I assume many reading this have done the same.
One thing we must always remember is there are two separate but intermixed realities. First there is what we see and live in, which is physical reality. It is where we exist now; where we work and play, sleep and eat. Everything created physical being exists here. This is a reality both believers and unbelievers acknowledge. Then there is the spiritual realm, the older of the two. It is the one we do not interact with using our physical five senses. It is the realm where God and the angels reside. We may live in the physical realm, but we can touch and enter the spiritual realm in prayer and worship, through the faculty of faith. These two realities are all around us, and they influence all that happens: whether for good or evil.
That being said, there are many who live their lives denying the spiritual realm is real. These are the staunch unbelievers, atheists as an example. There are also a much larger group that believe the spiritual realm exists, understand the benefits of it, but when times get tough, they begin to doubt or walk away. They may not deny the spiritual side but will question it’s power and willingness to intervene on their behalf. Peter experienced this when He was walking on the water at the command of Christ. but his focus shifted from spiritual to physical, which rules out the possibility of walking on water, therefore he began to lose faith and doubted. And this is what many of us do today. The scriptures, both old and new testament, say God would never leave or forsake us.
“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6.
And as quoted in the New Testament,
“Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,” Hebrews 13:5.
However, many have cried out, asking why He was not there when some horrible thing happened. The scriptures are full of verses where God declares He will meet our needs, however, when things do not go our way, we often question His love.
“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:30-34.
Jesus told His disciples that all their needs would be met if they sought Him first. And Paul declared the same thing to the Church at Philippi.
“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19.
And this applies to us as well. Yet, many of us worry about the future and how we can survive our present situation. Paul told the Church at Rome, and us as well, there is no reason to worry.
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.
Yet many times we believe that nothing good could come out of what we experienced. However, note the wording here. “All things work together for good”. The key word here is “together”. Not everything will seem good at the moment. But in the end, everything will bring about the good God intended. And we will see it when we wait in faith.
Just as Peter took his focus off Christ and God’s ability to circumvent the impossible, we often do the exact same thing. We say we trust in God for everything, yet we often worry and anguish in difficult times. Oh how much the flesh wars against our spirit, and how often it appears to win the battle. However, through the power of the Holy Spirit, our victory in the war is assured.
I understand the battles because I have been engaged in many battles in which I appeared to be losing in the beginning. These were difficult times, and I found myself succumbing to worry and desires to stoop to levels which others have used against me. My spirit said to trust God and He will make things right, but my flesh wanted to retaliate. I ran through scenarios in my mind that I thought would give me great satisfaction. However, this was not trusting in God’s power and wisdom but trusting in my own. I have come to appreciate the words of Paul when he said,
“Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? ” Romans 7:24.
And I have ultimately come to have the final victory. I have decided to do what is right, work hard, do all I can to finish my tasks as efficiently and effectively as possible. And after that, allow God to do the rest. I have found much peace and solace in this, which is proof of the victory. I have not fully arrived, but I have made great strides in the right direction. Do we believe what God has said in His Word, even though it may run counter to what the world deems as real? Do we believe what God says about us and others, or what we, in our limited abilities and understandings, tell ourselves? Our touch and interaction with the spiritual realm come through our reading and studying of God’s Word and the truths inherent in it. Will we take our eyes off of the truths revealed to us, or will we take our trust and rest it in our feelings and worldly beliefs? Let us examine our reactions to difficult times and see if we focus on God’s words or our own ways. Let us not be like Peter, who denied the reality Christ presented when He said “come”, and the reality that he already was walking on water but lost his faith. God will always keep His promises no matter what we see or experience. Let us keep our eyes on this, and we will see victories in the battles that come upon us.
Well said Bill