“And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus” (Matt. 14:25,28-29).
In this passage, the disciples were out on the Sea of Galilee, fighting to keep afloat in a storm. Suddenly, Jesus came walking across the sea toward their boat! Jesus had been spending time with His Father, and He’d gotten so caught up in the glory that He didn’t even need a boat!
Peter saw Jesus and called, “Lord, if that’s You, I want to come out there!” Jesus called back, “Come on out!”
I like Peter; he was a pioneer. He didn’t want to walk the same road everyone else traveled. He wanted to plow a new one!
Peter stepped out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. Now, it wasn’t the water that held Peter up. Just go try it sometime, and see if water will hold you up! No, it wasn’t the water – it was Jesus’ word that kept Peter on top of the water.
Jesus had said to him, “Come.” And every time Peter put his foot down to take another step on the water, he landed on that word. So Peter first heard and believed what Jesus said. Then Peter acted on what He’d said, keeping his eyes on Jesus all the while.
Also, did you notice that no one followed Peter out of the boat? No, the other disciples were probably all standing back, thinking, If it works for Peter, maybe I’ll try it. That’s the attitude that causes people to run into problems. They say, “Well, so-and-so got healed. I believe I’ll try that.” Then they wonder why it doesn’t work for them.
We aren’t healed because someone else was healed. We can’t live continually off someone else’s faith. We’re healed because the Bible says, “By Jesus’ stripes you were healed.” (Isa. 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24.) Just like Peter, we have to take a step of faith out on the Word and believe God for the miracle we need!
When the One who made the water tells me I can walk on it, I can. The One who made my body tells me it’s healed, so it’s healed. The Word of God is the unsinkable foundation I walk on!
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
For over 40 years, Pastors Mark and Janet Brazee have traveled throughout the world sharing the Word of God and the Spirit of God. Together they've shared the powerful truths of faith and healing in more than 50 nations.
Today Mark and Janet pastor World Outreach Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where they base their ongoing outreach to the world. The Brazees still travel as the Lord leads, and they are raising up a congregation who share their passion to reach Tulsa and the world.