01/19/17 - Matt 14

Jan 19, 2017 – Matt 14

Peter replied, "Tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," Jesus said. Then Peter walked on the water toward Jesus. Matt 14:28-29

Jesus doesn't limit a person from coming to Him.

It had to be one of the most incredible moments in Peter’s life!  Being so late at night, it may have felt like a dream … how could anyone walk on water?  Yet, that’s what he was seeing when Jesus was walking toward their boat in the middle of the lake.

Then Peter (only Peter), had the boldness to ask Jesus for permission to walk with him on the water.  The request must have sounded ridiculous to all the rest of the disciples, but Jesus responded with an even more ridiculous answer – COME!   Jesus called Peter out, and Peter trusted him enough to try.

Imagine those first steps out of the boat.  Would Peter have been conscious of what was happening?  Was he so focused on Jesus that he didn’t see the water?  If you were one of those disciples, would you have tried to stop Peter?  Or just been speechless?  Or maybe wished you would have had the boldness to ask it of Jesus yourself?

Peter’s walk didn’t last long.  In just a few steps, Peter stopped focusing on Jesus and started focusing on the wind & waves around him.  As soon as Peter’s focus changed, his circumstances changed too.  Focusing on Jesus opened up possibilities in his life.  Focusing on the elements closed them quickly.

Humans live in a limited world.  We are under the structures of time, space & body.  We let those limits affect the size of our faith.  Seeing the world through limits makes us limit people and limit God as well.  But Jesus didn’t see the world that way.  He saw beyond the elements, beyond life span, beyond rules.  After all, Jesus had set the rules, so He was allowed to change them. 

God doesn’t put limits on Himself or on us.  He is willing to overcome the limits in order to expand our faith.  That doesn’t mean Jesus is a rule-breaker.  He is a rule-maker.  He decides what limits you, not the world.  Peter forgot that – even though he had just seen Jesus feed over 5000 men with a couple of loaves and fish, and had watched Jesus walk on water.    

Have you told God “no” to something lately?  What have you dismissed as an unrealistic dream or vision?  What have you put limits on when it comes to your walk with Jesus, or how have you limited the walk of others?  Don’t be a limit-maker, seek to get out of the boat and start walking on water to Jesus.  When we keep our focus on Jesus, He removes the limits.