But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him… Matthew 14: 30 – 31a (ESV).
How often do we find ourselves in the storms of life, focused solely on the winds and waves that terrify us? The storm takes up all the space in our minds, blinding us to the very help that is already with us. Jesus comes walking on the water—a powerful reminder of the same God who parted the Red Sea, who now stands on the water with the storm beneath His feet. The scriptures declare that the world is His footstool, and darkness is under His feet. It says that Jesus has even given us the same authority to trample on serpents and scorpions.
When Jesus came walking on the water, with the storm under His feet, it did not cease. The storm continued to rage, yet it had no power over Jesus’ authority or safety, nor did it hold any power over those under His authority. Jesus says, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” Essentially, He reassures us not to be frightened because He is with us. We do not have to fear the storm or our lives because the great “I AM” is here. He is LORD over the storm, our fears, and our lives.
Peter sees Jesus, he really sees Him, and says, Lord, if this is You – if You are really the Messiah, then say to me, come out onto the water – let me walk on water with You. How bold? Although he must have felt fear, something deeper compelled him to act—the revelation of Jesus as LORD was more powerful than his fear.
Jesus invited him to come, and he began walking on the water towards Jesus…. As he walks, he gets his eyes off his LORD and onto the reality of the storm surrounding him. Both the storm and Jesus were real and tangible, but Peter’s focus revealed what had power over him. A focus on fear is a submission to fear, a focus on the storm is a submission to the storm, and a focus on Jesus is a submission to His authority over the storm.
While the storm is real and true, as long as Peter is fixed on the storm, he is subjected to the power of that storm. He will be tossed to and fro by the wind, waves and darkness. In contrast, Jesus is also real, and He is Truth over the storm’s power. In fact, the storm is subject to Christ’s power and authority. Christ reveals that the storm is under His feet, that he is LORD over the storm, and that when Peter’s eyes are on Him, he can walk in the same authority to walk on water with Jesus.
When Peter looks at the storm raging, he begins to sink, and he cries out, Lord, save me. Right here, we see the power of salvation – Jesus’ name means “God Saves.” When we cry out to Jesus, we effectively say, “Save me, God! Rescue me from this storm, from the darkness that seeks to rule me.”.
“Lord, save me” represents a powerful posture of the heart. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. This cry reflects humility and our deep need for salvation; without rescue, we would perish. Without Christ, we are spiritually dead in our sins and darkness.
Peter cries out for his very life—”Lord, save me!”—and Jesus immediately reaches out His hand. When we approach Jesus, truly acknowledging our poverty, He responds instantly with an outstretched hand, saving us from darkness and bringing us back to life under His covering and protection.
Jesus asks Peter, “O you of little faith, why do you doubt?” Whenever Jesus confronts a lack of faith, it is not because there is no faith. Anyone reading this story would agree that Peter demonstrated tremendous faith; he is the only one who stepped out of the boat – he was the only one who saw Jesus’ power and authority and believed that He could do that for him as well. Peter had extraordinary faith compared to the others in the boat and even you and I (if we put ourselves in that situation).
However, Jesus does not compare Peter’s faith to that of others. He is not suggesting that Peter lacks faith altogether. Instead, He says, “Peter, your faith is ineffective or insufficient.” Peter needed a deeper revelation of Christ as the I AM, the Messiah, so that his faith would remain unshaken, even amidst a storm.
After all this, Jesus calms the storm, revealing His authority to do so, and the disciples worshipped Him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” A revelation is unfolding of His identity, and transformation comes as this revelation comes. Similarly, transformation happens in what we see whenever another aspect of Christ is revealed to us through the Holy Spirit.
We may find ourselves in the harshest storms of life; yet, when we receive a revelation of the I AM during these trials, transformation always follows. Although our circumstances might not alter, everything within us changes. If Jesus can calm the storm that rages within our hearts, then the external storms lose their significance because the one with greater authority is with us—the one to whom the very storm is subjected. So, in your storm today, who has the power?
Lord, help us to fully submit to Your LORDSHIP in the storms of life. You, oh Lord, are the only one to whom our storms are subjected. May we come under Your protection and covering as the storm rages. We fix our eyes on You and put our faith and trust in You. Amen.
