It was a dark and windy night. The disciples were in the boat, rowing to the other side of the lake as Jesus instructed. He sent them ahead so He could pray alone. 

It is an interesting scene — one of my favorite stories in the Bible. The disciples are going across without Jesus. They may have wondered why He asked them to leave without Him, but they obeyed anyway. 

Matthew 14 tells us they were a “considerable distance from land” before Jesus made His way out to them. Of course the disciples were frightened. Think about it — have you ever seen anyone walking on water? But Jesus reassured them, telling them not to be afraid. 

The scene could have ended with Jesus climbing in the boat and them going on their way. But Peter was not content with the “usual.” He spoke up. With great faith, He asked Jesus for what was seemingly impossible. And Jesus replied, “Come.”

By His power and wisdom

How excited and terrified Peter must have felt taking that first step onto the murky water. Keeping his eyes on Jesus, he was fine. But when Peter looked away, he began to sink. 

How many times do we do it? We speak up in faith and ask, knowing and believing God can do the impossible. But when the winds blow, we forget who He is.

When you’re in the midst of troubles, remember that “God made the earth by His power, and He preserves it by His wisdom. With His own understanding, He stretched out the heavens. When He speaks in the thunder, the heavens roar with rain. He causes the clouds to rise over the earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from His storehouses” (Jer. 10:12–13).

That’s our God. When we begin to lose sight of just how powerful He really is, He picks us right back up. I believe Jesus stayed behind to show Peter — and us — that we need to focus on Him when times get hard.

So don’t ever lose hope, no matter how hard the wind blows.