Matthew 14:30
But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

Peter’s life is often such a stark picture of our own experiences. Here he is in the middle of a storm, walking on water. The wind is swirling. The waves are surging. His faith had upheld him as he took that first tentative step out of the boat. Onto the sea he went, maybe surprised by the sure footing he found there. With each step, he would have gained more confidence. But then he saw the wind. It was a strong and powerful force, a potentially destructive force. And when Peter recognizes this, when he grasps the full reality of standing on top of the water in the middle of a storm, he becomes afraid. His faith flies, and he starts to sink.

We are like Peter many times in our lives. As long as we are moving forward by faith, we can keep going, but our fear and doubt will sink us every time. We probably all have moments in our lives where fear paralyzed us and we were sunk. We probably all have had moments of doubt that kept us from some amazing experience or denied us a blessing. But it’s through those kinds of falling-down-and-getting-up experiences that we learn to trust God more and ourselves less.

Of course Peter wasn’t alone out on that water, and neither are we alone as we walk our path through life. We are as near to Jesus as Peter was on the sea that day, and He is always only a cry away. As long as it is Jesus we call upon for rescue, we can be sure not to be consumed in whatever swirling waters we find ourselves in. He doesn’t want us to drown in troubles or sorrows, but to move forward in obedient lives, trusting Him and His leading.

Perhaps today we find ourselves in some trial of faith. Perhaps we started off sure and steady only to find ourselves starting to sink. Let’s not lose faith in the one who upholds us. Let’s lean more and more on Jesus and trust His power and His strength above our own or the circumstances around us. Let’s keep His name ever on our lips, our eyes upon His shining countenance, and our hearts tuned to His Spirit within us. That will give us all we need to move ahead on our own path upon the water.