"Experiencing Miracles This Year!"

How Did Peter Do It?

Matthew 14:28-29
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

In this passage we find the disciples of Jesus in a ship and there was a storm at sea. The previous verses say that the ship was being tossed by the waves. I have been in a boat in the storm and I know how that feels. Not only does it cause you to feel very vulnerable but it also can make you feel pretty sea sick! Fortunately I didn't get sick but I did feel my sense of self reliance drain right out of me. As the ship bounced around, I felt smaller and smaller in that huge relentless sea of water. It is especially humiliating when the waves next to you are higher than the ships deck and you are hoping your boat is going to float over that next wave. It doesn't take long for fear to set in and doubting whether your ship is really going to hold together. I remember thinking about how much work must have gone into the construction of the boat I was in and I began to wonder if everyone had sincerely done their job well or did someone half heartily fasten a beam of joint in the boat. Was it going to hold up? That is what began to paralyze me with fear! I had all of this going on inside of my mind without anyone else saying a single word. What started my fear though was the wave! It was the wave that was higher than the boat and appeared that it would crash over the boat.

Have you ever felt like that? The problem you have suddenly been faced with is greater and stronger than you and you can't take your eyes off of those waves. They keep rolling in and bouncing your life around? Sometimes it may feel as though there is no stable ground to stand on in this world. Maybe the shore is so far away that you can't even see the ground? I have found this to be true in my life at times and it was all I could to hang on! The circumstances had shaken my courage and my confidence and the only thing I could feel was fear for my future.

Think about what caused the fear that I had felt and the disciples had felt in the storm. The waves presented a danger but the boat was made to withstand a typical storm at sea! It had been built and tested to be labeled sea worthy! The men who were operating the ship were experienced, but something brought fear into my mind out on that boat in the storm. The thing that caused me to fear was my doubt. I began to wonder if the boat was going to carry us safely home and that doubt had caused me to fear. You see, fear is a fruit and unbelief is the root.
We often want to overcome those feelings of fear by clinging to something for support and security, but it's the doubt that we must deal with or we will always be producing the fruit of fear in our lives.

When Jesus came walking towards the ship that night, the disciples were undoubtedly already shaken by the storm and they immediately began to imagine that they were seeing a spirit or as we would say a ghost. Let's look at verse twenty-six,

Matthew 14:26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

Then Jesus spoke to them in the middle of this storm and calmed their fears. He says in the next verse,

Matthew 14:27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

What did Jesus say? Be happy! It is I! Don't be afraid!

Jesus had no intentions whatsoever to cause them to fear, but they felt overwhelmed, alone, overpowered by the waves and now shaken by this man walking on the sea. Don't you see it my friend? It is in the storms of life when all seems in doubt that Jesus encourages us to watch for something miraculous and unbelievable to happen. When it does, don't question or imagine something off the wall! Realize that it is our Lord working in the power of the Spirit in your life and He will calm those storms. He will take away the fear and help you with your belief in Him.

Peter was the only one who came up with the crazy idea of walking on the water. I can imagine when he saw Jesus that his first thought was that he would love to do that too. His mind went to work and he figured out how to get his chance to walk on the water. He sort of threw out a challenge to Jesus. Peter asked Jesus to allow him to do the impossible if He was truly Jesus. You know, as I read this, I realized that Peter wanted to hear his Lord give him the command before he stepped out of the boat. This is a very wise thing to remember in life. Let's take a look at what he said,

Matthew 14:28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

They were so afraid that it says, they were grown men crying out. I can't quite imagine what they were saying, but I bet it was pretty insane. Have you ever been to a scary movie or haunted house where you knew it wasn't real, but still got scared. Well this was real alright and these guys were scared out of their wits!

It was Peter who had enough courage that day in the middle of the storm and the waves to ask Jesus to invite him out onto the waves. Maybe he really thought it wasn't Jesus and the spirit would just vanish or go away. But what we see next is that Peter was ready when that miracle happened and Jesus called him,"Come". Peter climbed down out of the ship and he walked on the water to go to Jesus.

Something happened to Peter as he began to make his way into this supernatural situation. Jesus was able to work this miracle through him as long as he believed. Was it the fear that caused Peter to sink when he saw the waves and wind? No. It wasn't his fear, but rather something much deeper. It went all the way down to the root of what produced the fear and that was what he felt when he looked at the circumstances that he was in physically. His heart lacked the belief in his Lord for just a moment and right at that moment the miracle that he was experiencing became powerless.

Yes, he called out to Jesus to save him and the Word says "immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"

What did Jesus ask him at that moment? Did Jesus say, "What did you fear?" Jesus asked him why he doubted and then they walked to the ship together. Peter was the only one who had the boldness to take that first step and a few more before he began to doubt, but Jesus understood and Jesus took his hand.

This reminds me of parents teaching their child to take those first steps. They know the child will not make it all the way the first time they try. They know they will have to pick up their child and start over again; not just once, but many times until the child gains enough confidence and balance to be able to make it across the room. When a child makes those achievements, the parents don't wait until they can run marathons before they clap their hands and cheer. They are cheering the child on from the first step and every time they try! Remember what Jesus told the disciples when they were scared out of their wits? Jesus told them to be of good cheer; it is I; don't be afraid. We coaxed our children along with those same words as we convince them to let go and takes those first, second and third steps to mom or dad.

"Don't be afraid of the storms of life that create doubt!"

"Just Believe!"

"Jesus will perform His miracles in your life if you Believe in Him!"


You may use or reproduce the messages written by Rob Bailes with permission, either by email or verbal. These messages are not allowed to be sold or used for advertisement purposes. Contact Rob Bailes by email at: robbailesministries@yahoo.com or call (919)745-1210