’Beginning To Sink’

‘Beginning To Sink’

But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

Matthew 14:30

Over the years, Peter has received a lot of criticism for what happens in our text for today, from people who have not walked on the water themselves. Peter had spent his life on the Sea of Galilee, and later events reveal to us that he could swim, so, it is evident he was not afraid of the water. What happened that he would begin to sink? The scripture tells us, ‘when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid.’ The circumstances got to Peter. We recognize that the circumstances have gotten to many of the people of God. When the circumstances got to Abraham he resorted to Hagar. When the circumstances got to Moses, he ‘spoke rashly with his lips.’ When the circumstances got to the disciples on another occasion, when they were in a boat with Christ, they cried out, asking Him, ‘Master, do you not care that we are perishing?’ If we are going to be honest, we must all confess that the circumstances get to us as well from time to time. We are not immune from weakness and frailty. Hence, it is good that Jesus is never far away. We are going to consider, in due course of time, how Christ responded to Peter’s predicament. For the minute, let us consider that when we find that the circumstances have gotten to us, instead of thinking that we are the worst of Christ’s disciples, let us consider that by Biblical accounts we are just about average. We all need Jesus, especially when we are ‘beginning to sink.’

Our Kind and Gracious Savior,
We praise You, that You do not despise us
for our frailty and our weakness.
We rejoice that You draw near to us when we are sinking,
and minister to us in tender and compassionate ways.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning