Compassion for our Fear, Support for our Faith

Author: Joseph

Date: October 25, 2020

The disciples were sent on a boat to go ahead of Yeshua while He Himself dispersed the crowds after performing the miracle of feeding them with fish and bread. His disciples got into the boat and began to travel to the other side of the water, a great distance. Yeshua, separate from them, prayed in isolation upon a mountain.

Late into the night, when others would be sleeping, the disciples’ boat began to shift and rock in the windy waters. The wind then became steadily stronger and they quickly lost control of their boat, being tossed by the waves.

(Imagine yourself among the disciples in the darkness of night, with no light to see but perhaps a lantern or torch, being tossed around by strong winds and battering waves in deep waters. As the boat beats against the waves, splashes of water spray on you and you aren’t quite sure if the boat will handle the constant barrage of wind and waves. The wood groans and you hear the voices of the disciples calling out to one another in an attempt to gain control of the boat and keep each other from falling over into the dark waters. They row their paddles against the waves, straining to keep the boat on course.)

The disciples, in the midst of the chaos, saw Yeshua walking on the water towards them and were terrified at the sight. Yeshua walked steadily towards them, unmoved and unaffected by the storm that was severely afflicting the disciples. They shouted in fear, exclaiming they were seeing a ghost, but then Yeshua responded, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27).

Peter, having seen Yeshua and desiring to go to Him, had sudden faith to go out in the chaotic waters to meet Him. Yeshua allowed Peter’s request and said, “Come” (Matthew 14:29). Peter eagerly jumped out of the boat and walked toward Yeshua in an act of great faith, but then while doing so, he turned his eyes and looked out at the strong wind and the chaos of the waters around him. Peter’s faith waivered at the frightful sight and then he sank.

Suddenly grabbing his arm, Yeshua reached out and saved Peter, saying, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31).

"...He is gracious to support our faith."

Yeshua supported Peter’s faith and He allowed Peter to come out into the water even though it seemed a foolish thing for Peter to do. Peter was not concerned about the water and believed that since Yeshua was walking on the water, certainly Yeshua could allow Him to do so in order to be with Him. Though God seems impossible to reach, if we ask to come near to Him when He reveals Himself to us, He is gracious to support our faith.

Peter was unable to walk all the way to Yeshua. Likewise, even when we are called by God to come to Him, we often lose our faith in Him, unable to fully reach Him on our own. Peter sank, as do all of us, but then Yeshua reached out and saved him, just as He does with us. Yeshua reaches out, having compassion for our fears and honoring our faith to go to Him, and completes the work of having called us to Himself.

When God revealed Himself to you, you responded in faith to come near to Him even though it seemed an impossible thing. You could not do so unless God allowed it and He was gracious to allow it. When you find yourself surrounded by a storm, look to him. When you find yourself sinking in your lack of faith, cry out to Yeshua, and He will save you. He will not let you drown because He is the One Who has called you and there is no deceit in Him. Life is full of windy storms and battering waves, but we have nothing to fear when we respond to God in faith and cry out to Him in times of trouble.

Matthew 14:22 - 33

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB). Copyright by The Lockman Foundation (www.lockman.org).