Water Walkers - September 2021

When I was younger, I had a fascination with superheroes. I used to sit in front of the television and watch the Wonder Woman series back in the late 70s. I watched as this beautiful Amazonian woman spun around and transformed into her garb of justice to fight evil wearing magic bracelets, a tiara, the golden lasso of truth, and the belt of strength. It never occurred to me that this was not real and that it was only a television show. Surely, I could do the same thing, or so I thought. I believed that I was a superhero, just like Wonder Woman, so my bedroom became my practice space. I think I was around five or six years old when I became invincible!

There were two bunk beds in my bedroom that I shared with my little brother. I went into my room and tied my mother's scarf around my neck like a cape. I climbed to the top of my bunk bed and started jumping up and down. I lifted my hands in the air in a flying motion, ready to take flight. My intention was to fly to the other bunk bed on the other side of the room, but gravity had other plans. As I jumped off the top of the bunk bed, my dreams of soaring through the air quickly became a nightmare as I fell and hit my forehead on the corner of the dresser. I had a big gash in the middle of my forehead that required several stitches. My fall from grace left me with a souvenir in the form of a tiny scar on my forehead that is still visible to this day. I found out the hard way that I was NOT a superhero!

There’s something in all of us that seeks to be extraordinary. We want to defy the laws of nature and do the impossible. It’s exciting to see otherworldly beings doing incredible things. Imagine being able to snap your fingers like Thanos and instantly be in a whole new universe, or possessing superhuman strength, speed, and regenerative powers from a vibranium-filled suit worn by the indomitable Black Panther. It’s unfathomable.

Superheroes were generally endowed with conditional powers. It was always based on possessing, wearing, or wielding something magical. They were never gifted with the ability to create from within but derived it from outside of themselves. They were truly extraordinary people. No matter how much I love superheroes and their powers, I would much rather have an internal power that can change who I am from the inside and enable me to do extraordinary things in my everyday life for others.

We are all ordinary people in our own strength. The thing that makes us extraordinary is a word, a dream, or a vision from God that gives us the faith and assurance to step into uncharted waters and allow the ripples of God to carry us into his divine purpose for our lives. Biblically speaking, in Matthew 14:22-33, it tells the story about Jesus walking on the sea. That’s right, walking on the sea. Let that sink in for just a moment. Jesus was a water walker. That’s superhero stuff!

To give context to this story, Jesus had just finished feeding about five thousand people with five loaves and two fish. After he had done this miracle, he commanded the disciples to get into a boat and go ahead of him to the other side while he went up into a mountain to pray. Jesus did not go with the disciples. They went by themselves, which means they had to trust the word that Jesus gave them about going to the other side even though he was not physically with them. All they had was the word, the living word.

Meanwhile, as the ship drifted further into the middle of the sea, a strong wind came producing heavy waves that beat against the boat. And in the fourth watch of the night, or three o’clock in the morning, Jesus went out to meet the disciples, walking on the sea. Of course, when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were afraid and thought it was a ghost. Jesus reassured the disciples that it was him and to not be afraid.

I have read this passage of scripture, in Matthew 14:22-33, many times and never realized that Jesus was walking on the water through a storm. This was not a peaceful moment with Cecil B. DeMille music playing in the background. This was a turbulent event, but Jesus was walking through it without fear. Jesus knew where he was going, and he knew that his assignment was to go to the other side regardless of the storm. He was focused on the assignment, not the storm.

As he approached the boat, one of his disciples named Peter called out to him, "Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.” Jesus reassured him by simply saying, "Come." I can imagine Peter telling Jesus, “Say no more.” After Peter heard the word, he stepped out of the boat and began to walk on the water looking unto Jesus, the Author, and Finisher of his faith. He was looking unto Jesus, who’s free from sin's kryptonite. Peter had no infinity stones, no vibranium, and no teleportation powers to assist him in walking on the water. All he had was the word, the living word.

Now the storm is still raging, and Peter is getting ready to walk in it. Peter was one of those disciples who wanted to do everything Jesus did. He saw Jesus walking on the water, and he wanted to do it too. He saw Jesus defy the laws of nature as if they had no power over him and he wanted to do the same thing. Peter was willing to step out of the boat to walk on the water towards Jesus, but he just wasn't sure if it was him. Jesus had no problem with Peter stepping out and doing the impossible. In fact, he encouraged it.

As Peter began walking on the water, he took his eyes off Jesus and began to look at the wind. He started walking in faith, but he didn’t finish in faith. The moment he took his eyes off Jesus and began to focus on his circumstances, fear entered in, and he began to sink asking the Lord to save him. Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him. He asked Peter, “You of little faith. Why did you doubt?”

Sometimes we do the same thing. We want to step out, but we're not sure if it's God. We ask ourselves, “Is this God or is this me?” We have to be able to answer that question or we will sink like Peter.

If you know without a shadow of a doubt that what you're doing is ordered by the Lord, then His answer to you is "Come!" Go ahead. Step out on that dream, that vision, or that word from God. Hold fast to it regardless of the storms of life. Keep it at the forefront of your mind and it will allow you to walk on the water of every circumstance in your life. God's got you if you keep your eyes on HIM!