Have you ever felt like life around you was nothing but chaos?  Like the winds of life were causing you to question everything you know; like the waves of life were beating against you and washing away any hope that you had?  It is inevitable that life will have hurts, pains, and heartbreaks.  Because of the reality of sin in our world, these things will always be a part of our lives.  And because of the difficulty that times of trial bring, it is easy to let these times cause us to focus on the chaos going on around us instead of the one who promises to be with us during the storm.

In Matthew 14:22-33:

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.”

Wind & Waves

The wind and waves distract us from worship.  We can in fear focus on how big the waves are and how forceful the wind is, or in adoration we can worship Jesus.  The disciples are in this boat; Peter somehow has enough courage to get out of the boat and walk on water, but once he gets out of the boat he starts to notice all the elements around him.  He notices that the waves are big and that him walking on the water is an absolutely absurd idea.  He feels the wind pushing at his back and starts to sink.

In your life, when are the moments when you life feels like the wind and waves are all around you?  Perhaps you notice the wind and the waves when things start to fall apart.  Maybe as things fall apart it pushes you to doubt that there is a God that is more powerful than the waves and the wind.  Maybe it's the sin if your life that prevents you from worshipping; the idea that certainly the crashing waves of your terrible sins are too powerful for the grace of God.  What are the waves and the wind in your life that prevent you from worshipping the God who walks on water.

Worship

After Jesus caught Peter and climb into the boat, the wind dies down.  Immediately the disciples in the boat worship him because they realize that this man who was walking on water has the power to control the wind; he is God.  When Jesus hops into the boat, the disciples respond in worship.  In response to the realization of who God is, they resond in worship.  The disciples realizes that the wind and the waves are certainly all around and very powerful, but Jesus is more powerful than both.

Photo Credit: atrebatus