Dave's Diary

Prayer

Before you read, I invite you to pray this prayer based on Psalm 119:166-167.

I trust in You to save me, Lord.
I promise to follow Your call.
and to obey Your commands,
for I love You and I love Your ways.
Amen.

Briefly prepare your heart in silence, and ask the Holy Spirit to awaken your awareness to the voice of God, coming to you through His Word.

Reading

Matthew 14:28-33

Peter had the high privilege of being the only person in history ever to be called by Jesus to come out to Him walking on the water. So we cannot really take anything from this passage as a direct command to us today. But, in general terms, Jesus has definitely not stopped calling His disciples (us) to come to where He is. So let’s reflect a bit on that today.

When Jesus called Peter to come to Him, He was miraculously standing on top of the water, because He had come to His disciples in their time of need. Their need was to be comforted and encouraged by the truth that Jesus is Lord over everything – even the wildest storm they could face. And Jesus met that need by miraculously walking to them on the water.

So, it occurs to me that when Peter set out to “test” Jesus (v.28), this became an opportunity for Jesus to meet another one of the disciples’ needs – their need to learn that, if they would only trust Jesus, He would empower them to overcome the seemingly impossible. To meet that need, Jesus called Peter out to Himself on the water and empowered him to walk.

Today, we should still expect Jesus to call us to come to Him and join Him in places of human need, where He is at work ministering. And we really can’t limit the possibilities here. Jesus ministers to the needs of the poor and hungry, but He also ministers to the broken-hearted. He ministers to the outcast and the lonely, but He also ministers to the one trapped in the illusion of success.

So our call really is to stay sensitive to the Spirit of Jesus, keep our eyes and ears open, and be ready to respond when Jesus calls us to come to Him and join Him in His ministry today – even when doing so feels a lot like walking on the water. And as we respond, let’s remember that the One who calls us is the Son of God (v.33) with authority over every impossible situation, so we need not be tripped up by our fear and doubt (as Peter was)!

Contemplation

Please take time to ponder what Jesus has commanded us. Turn these declarations over in your mind. Keep them in mind throughout the day and live in step with Your King, Jesus.

As a disciple of Jesus Christ,

• I will keep my spiritual eyes and ears open for His presence today.
• I will trust Him and follow Him when He calls me to join Him in ministering to peoples’ needs, even when the prospect fills me with self-doubt or fear.

Lord Jesus, help me to see You at work in my world, and to join You in what You are doing to meet people’s needs. Amen.