Matthew 14:29
He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.
Great Rewards for Great Risks
No great rewards come unless one is willing to take great risks. Just ask those who have made tremendous discoveries, investments, or feats. They knew the risks but took them anyway. Those who were the first to land on the moon nearly died because they had only a few seconds of fuel left before they landed, and there were very serious problems on the return trip home, and all on board could have possibly died. But by them taking such a titanic risk, they had accomplished a feat that no one had ever done in all of human history. They were the first men to land, not only on the moon but on any celestial body outside the Earth. Their great risk became their great reward. This event has been recorded as one of the greatest feats of mankind, and their names will forever be in the history books.
The First Step’s the Hardest
When Peter took that first step toward Christ, he did something completely supernatural that defied the laws of nature. Peter said something very important. He said, “Lord command me to come to you on the water” (Matthew 14:28), and Jesus gave His permission by saying, “Come” (Matthew 14:29a). Peter took a great risk, a risk of being drowned and plunging to the bottom of the sea. I think we might take this account for granted since we’ve possibly read it so many times, but just think about that! Peter took the first step onto something that’s not solid at all. He also requested Jesus’ permission to do it, and Jesus said, “Come.” Those are two keys for taking a great risk for God: praying for God’s supernatural help and taking the very first step. Jesus couldn’t take the first step for Peter, and neither can He do that for us. But remember this: Jesus as Creator reigns supreme over His creation and can do whatsoever He pleases, no matter what the physical circumstances look like. Just ask Peter someday.
No Risk With God
God gives us His Word that everything that happens to us will always work out for our very best (Romans 8:28). This means that every failure can be used for our good and that every risk we take for God’s glory will result in our benefit. So when God is asking you to take a risk, is it really a risk if God is asking you to do it? Jesus commanded the disciples to go into all the world to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20), which seemed to be a gigantic goal at the time and a very big risk. However, Jesus wouldn’t send them out on their own; He promised them that the Spirit’s power would go with them (Acts 1:8). If God’s on your side, who could ever be against you (Romans 8:31)?
A Closing Prayer
Father, You are so good to me. I need Your help in taking steps of faith that look risky to my human eyes. You would never take me where You would not enable me, and I know You wouldn’t ask me to do something that You wouldn’t make possible. For that, I thank You in the name of Your Great Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen
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