Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” (NIV)
I'm a complete mess! Do you ever have those days? My house is a mess! My work life is a mess! My car is a mess! My family is a mess! My thoughts are a mess! EVERYTHING is a mess! Nothing seems to be in order, and there is an overwhelming feeling of, “I just want to pull the covers over my head and go back to sleep.” At this point, I realize that something needs to change right now. But what? And how? I desperately desire peace instead of turmoil and chaos. It is in these hard times that I must remember to step back and stop desperately trying to find my own solutions, and instead, desperately attempt to find God. Where did I put Him? Did He get lost somewhere behind my car seat or in the mess of my home? Did I misplace Him when I was running out the door trying to hurry to the next big thing? It is utterly depleting that I cannot seem to find God in the midst of all of the messes that I have created.
We weren’t meant to carry our burdens alone. We were created to be in constant relationship with God. Oftentimes, we try to carry the load on our own. We think, “I can do it all by myself.” While our culture believes this to be an admirable personality trait… news flash, super women… no you can’t! Our mess will continue to grow every day we choose to “fight the fight” on our own. Without God, each decision has an uncanny ability to create more chaos. We may not even realize it until, one day, we are smacked with realization of how miserable we are. Then, finally, we ask, where is God in all of this?
Many times, we are unable to find God in our lives because we have consumed ourselves with well… ourselves. We have selfishly turned our focus on our own situations and on our own feelings, so much so, that that is all we see. Our Creator and our direction become difficult to see because of it. Remember the story of Peter trying to walk on water? In Matthew 14:22-33 it states, “ Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
Shortly before dawn, Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
In this story, Peter gets into trouble when he takes his eyes off of Jesus. Peter, focusing on the storm that surrounded him, began to sink into the stormy waters. Ultimately, when Peter takes his focus off of Jesus, he succumbs to the mess that surrounds him. However, when he grasps Jesus’ hand, he is saved. The exact same is true within our own lives. There is going to be chaos and turmoil. There are going to be times when we feel like everything is a mess and somehow, we have lost sight of God. It is in these times that we need to cry out to Jesus. He is always present, even if He is difficult to see during times of difficulty. He will extend his hand to each and every one of us if we remember to call out for help. There is no storm that He is unable to calm. The next time we feel that our lives are spiraling out of control, we must cry out to Jesus. Life is messy. However, when we remember to involve Jesus Christ in our daily lives, navigating the messy and impossible becomes possible.
Your fellow Able Mom,
Donna Shaw
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for sending Jesus to be our saving grace in times of trouble. Thank you for never leaving or forsaking us. Help us to keep our focus on You daily. If we are in a season of messiness, help us to be comforted to know that You are leading us out. Help us to put our trust in You and sit long enough to hear Your guidance. This we pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Connect with Donna:
weakdayministries@gmail.com
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