Imagine what Peter was thinking when he climbed over the soaked, wooden railings to release himself onto the water.

Imagine his closest friends as they desperately beckoned him back into the security and comfort of the boat.

Yet, Peter had an invitation to respond to. An invitation that separated him from the others. An invitation to step out onto the unknown. With his eyes fixated on Jesus and his vision locked on Truth, he answered yes to the Lord’s call, and by faith, he began to walk.

Looking back on the moments in my life where I had to cross over the great waters of fear on a small, crumbling bridge of faith, the world watched closely and immediately discounted me as “crazy”.

Why?

Great faith never makes sense to those who are not walking in it.

You see, faith doesn’t ask questions. Faith believes the call is superior to the answers. Our faith in God has to be greater than our fear of the outcome, because sometimes the outcome isn’t the focal point of the call. Instead, it is what happens in the process that fulfills what God had intended all along-- to strengthen our faith in Him.

With wide eyes on Jesus and an eager heart, Peter walked on water. He didn’t require detailed instructions or a blueprint explaining how it would all unfold. Instead, Jesus beckoned him to come, and so he walked. With each step that Peter took, he was demanding the sea to bow to the authority of his faith. With each step he took, he was displaying the incredible example of impossibilities being demolished by having faith in the One who had called him.

Then, all of a sudden, a storm erupted. Dark, thick waves hurled themselves violently against Peter’s drenched body. A tornado of strong winds swirled around the sea, demanding his attention. And in that moment, Peter was overcome by fear. He unfastened his eyes from the Lord’s, looked upon the storm that was surrounding him, and he plunged into the deep sea below.

Let me ask you...

What do you do when you find yourself sinking beneath what you once were standing upon?

I am talking to those of you right now who have become overwhelmed in the process. I am reaching out to you, the ones who have found themselves overtaken by fear, discouragement, and no motivation to move forward. How do you regain the confidence and faith that moved you to say yes in the beginning? In order for me to reveal the answer, let’s go back to the story.

With fear as an anchor, Peter began to sink in the very water he just walking on moments before. Yet it’s what happens next that transformed his incredible test into a victorious testimony.

In Matthew 14:30, the moment Peter began to sink, he cried out for Jesus to save him!

We are not told that he kicked and screamed and tried to save himself. Instead, we are told that he instantly placed his faith back into Jesus, having just lost it to fear moments before! Jesus then immediately reached down and pulled Peter from the water…He pulled Peter from the finale of his fear. You see, in that water, although fallen, he was not defeated.

How is this possible?

Because The One who calls you onto the water is faithful to save when you sink into the water.

So, take heart today. If you find yourself surrounded by fear, doubt or discouragement, close your eyes and go back to the beginning. Travel back to the moment where your faith was stronger than the impossibilities. Remember why you stepped out in the first place; He called you.

Amy Basel