“Then Peter got down out of the boat…” Matt. 14:29
I don’t want to admit it, but I was a little kid trying to see if I measured up. I was comparing myself to other people. Let me explain:
I am probably better than him in baseball
I am better at math than him
Let me ask about something extremely personal in regards to comparing. Do I believe in God as much as I should? And do I trust as much as I should?
Simon Peter, one of Jesus’ 12 disciples, is sometimes referred to as the disciple with the “foot shaped mouth.” That description makes me laugh out loud. However, in the Bible, there are four lists of the 12 disciples and his name is always listed first. Peter stands out as the leader and spokesperson of the disciples. Jesus gave him the name Peter, which means the Rock. He was brash and sometimes impulsive but was also very bold when preaching about Jesus. It’s like he had a strong belief at all times. But that’s not the whole story.
I love this story found in Luke 5:3-7. It says, “Jesus got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the multitudes from the boat. And when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But, because you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break, and their boats began to sink.”
As we see in this story, Peter’s faith often followed his doubts. That is true of so many of us. God does not stop loving us when we fail or doubt. However, He loves when we trust and obey Him. Jesus did not call perfect people but imperfect people who trust and follow Him.
I need to get to know Jesus better and that will help me trust him even more.