Walking on Water

There’s something really philosophical about standing on the beach and looking out at the ocean. Maybe it’s the way the emerald green waters extend far beyond the horizon to meet an infinite panel of deep blue sky. It absolutely blows my mind that anything could be bigger or greater than the expanse of the sea enveloped in the expanse of the heavens. It makes me feel so small and insignificant. I feel even more insignificant when I realize that indeed, God’s love and grace are in fact deeper than the deepest ocean, and wider than the sky. Or maybe it’s the way the waves rush back out into the unknown to remind me of life’s ever-changing, yet ever-constant nature. Or maybe it’s the way my eyes wander down as my feet beneath the innumerable grains of sand. How crazy is it to think that God can hold each tiny grain of sand in the mere palm of His hand, and not one will slip through?

                                                                                  

 

(Like, really. Is this not just absolutely breathtaking?)

                                                                              

 

       But then, as the sun begins to set, the sky begins to darken, and the winds begin to pick up, my mind wanders to a timeless story that has become the center of countless sermons, poems, those slightly cheesy paintings of Jesus. You know, the ones where He stands atop the raging seas as if it were simply a casual stroll.  The scene seems unfathomable. Impossible, even. An ordinary man doing the extraordinary. Walking on water.

 

To me, walking on water isn’t about doing what’s impressive to man. Actually, when Jesus did it, His miraculous act wasn’t so well received. When His disciples, who He was so desperately walking towards, saw Him, they cried out in fear, thinking that they had seen a ghost. It certainly doesn’t start with your own accord. It starts with a step of faith.

 

And this step of faith comes with a call that should silence our fears and awaken our longing to do incredible things with the help of God: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27).

 

There was one disciple whose awe did not leave Him in utter terror. After hearing the voice of His savior, Peter, who was notoriously impulsive, cries out, “Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water” (Matthew 14:28). Some may see this as a lack of faith on Peter’s part. But I see it as the complete opposite. How many of us are so desperate to behold the face of God that we want to be called out over deep, churning waters? How many of us truly believe that He will sustain us even in our most meager attempts to step out in unfaltering trust? How many of us are content to sit idly in the boat and wait for the storm to die down and for the skies to clear? We were not created for mediocrity. We were not created for the boat.

 

“Come,” Jesus replied, beckoning Peter into the turbulent tempest.

 

We were created for the hard places, for the hard times. For the places where all reasonable odds fight against us and the biting winds do not blow in our favor. Fortunately, our creator knows how daunting these places can be and He refuses to let us sink. Because when we begin to waver in our doubt and trepidation, He catches us in His powerful grasp and places our trembling feet back on top of the foamy gray waters. When we don’t know whether to press on towards the shore or farther out into uncharted waters, He allows us to simply press on towards Him.

When it comes down to it, that’s what I think walking on water is all about. It’s about pressing on in unshakable faith, even when the skies are black with no hope of brightening, the waves are towering with no hopes of receding, and the winds are fierce with no hope of relenting. It’s about being so desperate to know God and make Him known that we follow His call wherever it may lead. It’s about earnestly believing the words of Isaiah 43:2: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.” 

                                                                    

     

 

It’s a concept that’s beautiful to believe, but much more difficult to apply. Maybe you’ve been clinging desperately to the side of the boat for as long as you can remember, feeling like an outsider to those inside. Simply let go and stand in the loving embraces of God for the first time. Or maybe you’ve been sitting comfortably in the boat for quite some time because you’re happy to confine your relationship with God into a “Don’t drink, smoke, or, swear,” religion, but it’s stopped there. It hasn’t been radical, and it hasn’t blown your mind. Please look at the possibilities out there. There’s an entire ocean longing for your footprints. Or perhaps you’ve timidly placed your toes in the water, and you know that you’re searching for more. Take that step of faith and allow God to use you to do big things- really big things- like feeding the hungry and clothing the poor. Your faith will be honored, I promise. And if you feel like you’re already treading the troubled ocean waters, but you’re sinking, you’re not. You are not alone out there. The God of the universe is standing right there with you, smiling down on you as the frigid waters crash on your face. Keep fighting. Or better yet, allow God to keep fighting for you. You are out there for a reason, and you never know the feet that may be soon to follow.

 

           Whoever you are, and wherever you are, I hope you are as astounded by the mystery of the ocean as I am. I hope you know that God’s love and grace are deeper than the massive ocean He has placed you in. I hope you know that as you weather the storms of life, the conditions will always change, but some things are constant. And I hope you remember this: If God can hold each grain of sand in the palm of His hand without letting even one slip away, He can hold on to you as you defy the limits of mediocrity and learn to walk on water. 

* For all of you music gurus out there, one of my favorite worship songs fits this post perfectly. It's called "Oceans" by Hillsong, and you can listen to it here! (: