Walking on the Word of God
Bob Yandian
The Christian life is a growth process. After we are born again, God wants us to become disciples, and discipleship means growing in the things of God. We take what is in the Word of God, apply it to our lives, and step out in faith. Faith itself does not change. The faith that saved you can move mountains and carry you through the storms of life. What grows is your understanding of faith and your ability to use what God has already given you.
Even the people in the Bible sometimes failed when they stepped out in faith. The answer is not to become discouraged and refuse to step out again. Get up, go back to the Word of God, build yourself up, and take another step. Peter walking on the water is a picture of this growth. His experience teaches us the power of God’s Word and the importance of keeping our attention on the Lord.
Stepping Out of the Boat
In Matthew 14, Jesus sent His disciples ahead of Him in a boat while He dismissed the multitudes. He then went up on a mountain by Himself to pray. By evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, tossed by waves because the wind was contrary. During the fourth watch of the night, the darkest part of the night just before daybreak, Jesus came to the disciples walking on the sea. When they saw Him, they were troubled and cried out in fear because they thought they were seeing a ghost.
Jesus immediately spoke to them and said, “Be of good cheer. It is I. Do not be afraid.” Peter answered, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” Jesus gave him one word, “Come.” Peter climbed out of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. For a time, he saw Jesus as greater than the storm. The other disciples kept their eyes on the circumstances and remained in the boat, but Peter focused on the power of Jesus and stepped out.
While Peter was walking, he noticed the boisterous wind and the waves around him. He became overwhelmed by what he saw and began to sink. He cried, “Lord, save me,” and Jesus immediately reached out, caught him, and asked, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Jesus did not allow Peter to drown. He lifted him up, led him back to the boat, and when they entered the boat, the wind ceased.
It is easy to criticize Peter for sinking, but most people who criticize him are still in the boat. Peter was the only disciple who stepped out, and he walked for a while before he sank. At least he stepped out, and at least he kept his eyes on Jesus for a time. His failure showed him where he needed to grow, but it did not erase the fact that he had trusted the Lord and done what no one else was willing to do.
Walking on One Word
Peter did not actually walk on the water. He walked on the one word Jesus gave him, “Come.” We do not walk on the storms of life, we walk on the Word of God across the storms of life. The water could not hold Peter up, but the word of Jesus could. There was enough power in one word from Jesus for Peter to do something naturally impossible.
This is why we do not step out of the boat without a promise from God. Peter did not decide on his own that he would walk on water. He heard the voice of Jesus and asked the Lord to invite him. When Jesus said, “Come,” Peter had a word to stand on. He took Jesus at His word, stepped out, and began walking toward Him.
We often think we need a sentence, a paragraph, or many promises before we can move. Peter received one word. What mattered was not the number of words, but who spoke the word. Jesus said, “Come,” and that was enough. At other times He simply said, “Believe,” or “Only believe, and all things are possible.” You do not need a large number of words from God. You need a word from God that you will believe and act upon.
The wind and waves had nothing to do with whether Peter could walk on water. Could he have walked on the water if the weather had been calm? No. A person cannot naturally walk on smooth water any more than on stormy water. What made the difference was the promise under Peter’s feet. In the same way, the economy, the government, and what is happening in the world do not change the promises of God. God will sustain you in good times and bad times when you trust Him.
Faith in the Middle of the Storm
Believers are not exempt from the storms of life. The same storm reached the disciples and the people walking around the shore. Those on the shore represent the world, while those in the boat represent the family of God. The people on the shore appeared to have an easier path, but they did not experience the supernatural deliverance of the disciples or see Peter walk with Jesus on the sea.
Storms do not come from God. They come from Satan, the world system, and the flesh. God does not send affliction to train His children, but He will use the storm as an opportunity for us to trust His Word and become stronger. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers us out of them all. Some of our greatest spiritual growth comes as we go through problems that appear overwhelming and discover that God is faithful to deliver us.
It is not adversity itself that makes us strong. If adversity produced strength, everyone would be strong and no believer would ever fail. It is the faith we use against adversity that makes us strong. Weights do not strengthen a person by merely being present. Strength comes from the work used against those weights, pushing them away and lifting them. In the same way, storms do not create spiritual strength. The faith we use in the storm causes us to grow in our understanding and application of faith.
A tree does not become strong without wind and adversity. When water is difficult to find, its roots grow deeper into the ground. We also need opportunities to use our faith. We are representatives of heaven placed in this earth to demonstrate what God’s Word can do. His promises have not lost their power, and the storms of life provide an opportunity to use the faith God has given us.
Keep Your Eyes on Jesus
Mark tells us that while Jesus was on the mountain, He saw the disciples straining at rowing because the wind was against them. Jesus is now in heaven at the right hand of the Father, but He still sees us in the middle of our storms and has promised to deliver us. He may appear to wait until the darkest hour. Jesus is seldom early, but He is never late. He has no intention of allowing you to drown, no matter how fierce the storm becomes.
Jesus did not walk around the shore or arrive in another boat. He came to the disciples walking on the water in supernatural power. Jesus walked as if the storm that was a problem for them was no problem for Him. He was showing them how they could look at the storm. He told them not to be afraid, but to have courage.
Peter began to sink only after he took his eyes off the Lord and looked at the wind and waves. He shifted his attention from the promise to the circumstances. The answer was not to blame Jesus or decide that miracles had passed away. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The answer was to return his attention to the Lord, learn from the experience, and continue growing in faith.
Perhaps you have stepped out before and failed. Thank God you stepped out. Do not allow a past failure to keep you in the boat for the rest of your life. Go back to the Word, find the promise God has given you, and put your attention on Him. When the circumstances demand your attention, remember that the power of God loves to be demonstrated in hard times. Satan can do his best, but God’s Word is still true.
When God says, “Come,” step out. When you have a promise, stand on that promise. You may be surrounded by winds and waves, but they do not determine the outcome. Keep your eyes on Jesus and continue walking on the Word of God. Those who trust Him will come through the storm successful on the other side.
Many Christians get sidetracked from a life of simple faith and try to complicate their faith by legalistic works of the flesh. This series will encourage believers to continue the daily progression of faith in simplicity.
Message Titles:
Hindsight is 20-20
It's Time to Grow Up
Learning Through Suffering
Don't Complicate Your Miracle
Faith's Destination
5 CDs
Many Christians get sidetracked from a life of simple faith and try to complicate their faith by legalistic works of the flesh. This series will encourage believers to continue the daily progression of faith in simplicity.
Message Titles:
Hindsight is 20-20
It's Time to Grow Up
Learning Through Suffering
Don't Complicate Your Miracle
Faith's Destination
5 MP3s / MFA03
Hearing the Word of God and doing it forms a rock in your life. Hearing the Word of God and not doing it forms sand in your life. It is not in the hearing of the Word, but in the doing of it that brings blessing to your life. This series based on Matthew 7:24-27 explains the importance of building your life on the strong foundations of God's Word. Doing the Word of God gives us power over sin, power in prayer, and power to produce good works in our lives. The Holy Spirit brings holiness, stability, and power in our lives through the double-edged sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
6 MP3s - MVL15