By Hal Lindsey
Never confuse planet earth with heaven. This is not the end-all, be-all of our existence. It’s just the beginning. But at the same time, don’t think of earth as God-forsaken. God is not only interested in our lives, He is active in them. He longs for us to reach out to Him in faith no matter what circumstances we face.
You’ve probably heard the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand. There was a festival-like atmosphere as the bread and fish kept being broken and handed out to everyone there. It was such a glorious day, some people wanted to make Him king right then and there. The Bible says Jesus “immediately” instructed His disciples to get in a boat and go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. He stayed behind to send the crowds home and spend some time alone in prayer.
The Sea of Galilee is known for the sudden rise of violent storms. That night a powerful wind whipped up the waves around the disciples’ boat. They found themselves fighting for their lives. Then, a little after 3 AM, something even scarier happened to them. They saw what appeared to be an apparition moving through the mist across the water. One of them cried out, “It’s a ghost!”
But it wasn’t a ghost. It was Jesus walking on the shifting waters of the stormy sea. He called to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said, “Lord, if that’s really you, tell me to come to you on the water.” Jesus answered, “Come.”
Peter did it. He stepped out of the boat and onto the waters, moving toward Jesus. But then Peter’s focus shifted. Matthew 14:30-32 says, “But seeing the wind, he became afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ And when they got into the boat, the wind stopped.”
You might think Peter did okay. He didn’t go far, but for a moment, he actually walked on water. That’s more than the others. They had stayed in the boat. Why did Jesus rebuke him?
The answer is that Jesus stood there on the water knowing something that’s hard for us to fathom — “With God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27).
Jesus longs for each one of us to look to Him and believe. Maybe a storm is rising. And maybe you don’t even feel like you have a boat. But in Mark 9:23, Jesus said, “All things are possible to him who believes.”
These are difficult days for many. But no matter the circumstances, God is still God. Keep your eyes on Him.
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