Matthew 14:22-33
22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
I used to love cardio exercises, but lately, not so much (other than walks outside). I still want to do some form of movement every morning, though, so I do a few minutes of stretches or pilates.
These exercises often require balance. Some days this is a struggle. When my balance is off, it’s probably because I haven’t picked a point of focus. When I keep my eyes on a fixed point, I’m less likely to stumble. Yes, I still wobble as I’m early on in my fitness journey, but focus makes a huge difference in my stability.
Likewise, when I’m stumbling in life, it’s often because I’ve lost focus on God. I get distracted by my worries, a busy schedule, other people’s opinions, or my changing circumstances.
Remember the Apostle Peter? He displayed immense faith and courage as he got out of the boat and walked on water to Jesus. But when he took his eyes off Jesus, he started to sink. Thankfully, Jesus showed him grace in that moment and pulled him back to safety.
Peter wasn’t perfect. Neither are we. We take our eyes off Jesus too. But with our eyes fixed on Him, we will have more stability when life gets topsy turvy. And when we wobble and fall, we can have peace knowing God’s got us even when we lose our balance.
REFLECTION: In what area(s) of my life do I need to re-focus on Jesus?
LYRICS
God I Look to You
By Jenn Johnson & Ian Mcintosh (Bethel Music)
Verse:
God I look to You, I won't be overwhelmed Give me vision to see things like You do God I look to You, You're where my help comes from Give me wisdom, You know just what to do
Chorus:
And I will love You Lord my strength And I will love You Lord my shield And I will love You Lord my rock Forever all my days I will love You God
Bridge:
Hallelujah our God reigns Hallelujah our God reigns Oh hallelujah our God reigns Forever all my days
Hallelujah