Read Matthew 14:22-36
During one of our quarterly Zambia Christian Mission retreat meetings, my husband took our oldest son (then about 6 years of age) and Ben’s six-year-old friend David, another missionary kid, fishing in a boat with a small outboard motor on Lake Kariba, the world’s largest man-made lake along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, An hour or so before sunset, about the time we were expecting these fishermen to return, a big storm arose on the lake. We all headed to our tents along the lakeshore and began to pray for the quick and safe return of this boatload of loved ones. The wind was blowing and the waves were high. I had never seen such a storm on a lake. That body of water looked a lot more like an ocean than a lake.
Darkness fell over our camp and over the lake. The fishermen had not returned. My stomach began to feel sick.
Eventually the wind died down, the waves calmed, and the rain stopped; but there were no fishermen to be seen. My heart was anxious, and my faith was faltering. I could not sleep.
Neither could my full-of-faith friend, Ginger. When I stepped out of my lonely tent to catch a breath of fresh air, I saw her on the shore of the lake with a trusty Colman lantern in her hand. She was waving it back and forth. As I approached her, she looked at me excitedly and said, “See that speck of light far across the water? I think that’s them. I think they’re on that island in the middle of the lake. That’s Cecil’s flashlight, Betty. Do not give up. Keep praying.”
With hope re-kindled, I did just that. Even though at times my faith lagged, I kept praying. And you know what? God heard my prayer. I stayed by the shore with faith-filled Ginger the rest of the night, and at the break of day, we could see far, far in the distance that little boat making its way toward us, with all three fishermen aboard. God was faithful in my time of trouble.
Same for Peter in Matthew’s account. He was afraid. Jesus spoke, and Peter’s faith soared. He began walking toward Jesus, filled with faith, and then took his eyes off his Master to gaze at the waves around him. He began to doubt, which caused him to sink. Jesus reached out and caught him anyhow.
Jesus is like that. He will not leave us to drown in our troubles. If you are floundering in a sea of panic, uncertainly, or fear, let Him catch you and pull you up again.
Father, I do believe. Help me in those times when my faith waivers. Keep my eyes and heart focused on You. And, Father, thank You for always being there with your hand outstretched, ready to catch me when I fall. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.