Matthew 14:22-33: "Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, 'It is a ghost!' And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.' And Peter answered Him and said, 'Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.' So He said, 'Come.' And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, 'Lord, save me!' And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?' And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, 'Truly You are the Son of God.'"
After Jesus had learned of John the Baptist's death, He went with His disciples to rest. A crowd wanted to learn from Him, so He taught them (and fed them). After He went by Himself to pray (and His disciples went by boat to the other side), Jesus appeared to them on the water. The disciples were afraid that they were seeing a ghost. After Peter knew it was Jesus, he showed his faith by walking on the water to meet Jesus. When he saw the waves, he was afraid and started sinking, but Jesus reached out and saved him. What can we learn from this? We may quickly respond by faith in life sometimes, but then we lose sight of Jesus (as did Peter when he sank), and we begin to sink, ourselves. We sink in our faith, sink in our fears, and sink in thinking we are worthless or not worthy to do God's work. There's still much to get done, so look to Jesus to help you accomplish what He has for you to get done. So, are you sinking ... or walking with Christ? In the book of Colossians, we’re reminded about what’s important - glorifying God. “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” Colossians 3:17.
We’re to glorify God in all that we do. This also means that, if we’re doing something that isn’t glorifying to God, we shouldn’t do that (no matter what it is). Usually, this is sin, but it’s not always sin that we have to stop doing. Sometimes it’s something that doesn’t please God, yet probably wouldn’t be classified as a sin. This is a type of sacrifice that God calls us to do. We sacrifice, not because it’s a chore, but because we love the God who has saved us. What are things that you are being called to sacrifice in order to please God? How are you going to be held accountable for this, so that you continue to reject what isn’t good and hold on to what is good (”Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” 1 Thessalonians 5:21)? Exodus 7:11: “But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.”
What Satan does is counterfeit what God tells us to do. There was God giving Moses the power to perform signs and wonders in front of the people, but Satan empowered the magicians to do the same. It matters, then, not only whether what we do is right or wrong but also who tells us (or empowers us) to do that. Is God asking you to do something that you don’t want to do? He will provide for you, if it’s His will for you to do it. Philippians 4:19: “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” How many times have you heard this Psalm? Do you truly believe it? Let's examine what it truly means.
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AuthorPotter's House Ministries is a ministry devoted to helping individuals in Romania through different programs. Learn how you can help us or help start a fundraiser. Categories
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