Considerations

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”
“Yes, come,” Jesus said.
So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.
Matthew 14:28-29 NLT

Peter had to have major trust in Jesus for him to jump out of that boat and attempt to walk on the water when Jesus said “come.” For Peter to even make such a bold request in the first place, speaks of the utmost trust Peter had in Jesus and His word. In Peter’s eyes, he knew that only Jesus could make the unthinkable act of walking on water possible. So why not ask? Why not invite Jesus to do what only He could do? This is no flimsy trust in Jesus. It’s a firm belief in the One who has the power to do the inconceivable and it’s backed up by how we live.

Peter’s act of getting out of the boat demonstrated that he trusted Jesus. What about us? Are we living as if we trust God? Are we placing ourselves in situations in which we have to trust that He will be our Provider, our Protector, our Sustainer, our Helper? Or are we doing everything possible to keep ourselves out of hard places? Is the fear of the unknown keeping us on shore while God is calling us to go places that are beyond our means and abilities to be self-sufficient? Trusting God allows us to experience the unimaginable such as walking on water! 

Keeping our eyes on Him

Trusting God is keeping our eyes on Him and not the storms we find ourselves in. Jesus made it very clear that “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows” (John 16:33 NLT). So we can’t use our challenges in life as reasons why we can’t trust Jesus. Instead let’s see the challenges as opportunities to trust Him and experience His faithfulness in ways that we could never make happen for ourselves. Sometimes we can be overly concerned with the current situations we are in and consumed with how we can get ourselves out of the mess. We fail to look to God in those moments. Peter took his eyes off Jesus and saw the stormy conditions around him and started sinking (see Matthew 14:30). We will sink too when we become overly concerned with our storms and look everywhere else but God to keep the storms from overwhelming us.

Believing He can do all things

Trusting God is believing that He can do all things! But sometimes we act like that father in Mark 9 who approached Jesus about healing his son. The father’s words in Mark 9:22, “… if you can do anything…” indicates his doubt that Jesus was capable of healing his son. We can live with that same ‘if you can’ mentality at times, forgetting that everything is possible for those who believe (see Mark 9:23). Not just possible for ourselves but also for our loved ones whom we pray for and bring before the One whom we call Healer, Saviour, Redeemer. 

Believing He can turn it around for our good

Trusting God is believing that He can take the disappointments, the painful experiences, the hurts of our lives and turn them around for our good (see Romans 8:28). Life is hard and as mentioned previously in this post, we will experience challenges and moments when things don’t go the way we hoped. However God is bigger than the enemies’ darts that hit us and our loved ones. What the enemy meant for evil, we can trust God to be able to transform it into something for our good (see Genesis 50:20). What looks bleak today, can be used by God to bring about His plan for our lives. There are many examples in the Bible such as the life of Joseph that exemplifies how we can trust in God even when nothing makes sense.

So whatever you are facing today, whatever hard decision is before you, I encourage you to trust God. Trust Him by keeping your eyes on Him and not the storm around you. Trust Him by believing that all things are possible with Him. Trust Him by believing that He can turn all things around for your good. 

And those who know your name put their trust in you,
    for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 9:10 ESV