Skip to main content

You Asked for It

“During the fourth watch of the night (around 3 am) Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. ‘It's a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.’ ‘Lord, if it's you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’ ‘Come,’ he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’” (Matthew 14:22-31)

Poor Peter! He is often remembered for his failures. He is the one who denied Jesus three times. He is the one who speaks before he thinks. He is the one who, when walking on the water, sank like a rock.

Let me ask you this question though: Why was it Peter who got to walk on the water in the first place? Was Peter special in some way? Was he Jesus’ favourite disciple? Did his years of service merit this opportunity? Did he have some special ability that the others did not possess?

Why did Peter get to walk on the water?

He asked!

That is it! That is the entire answer. Peter asked if he could and Jesus said, “Sure! Why not?”

That makes me wonder, what gifts, blessings, opportunities and successes are we missing out on experiencing simply because we do not ask?

Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8).

The book of James says, “You want something but don't get it… You do not have, because you do not ask God” (4:2).

Is it possible that God is just waiting to bless us? Is it possible that we are struggling, not because things are impossible, but because we are trying to do things by our power and not God’s? Who knows what may happen if we ask?

Maybe it is time to step out of the boat.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

New Article: Grace Changes Everything

               A young man broke into a business and did $5000 damage. As part of his Restorative Justice sentence, he was required to meet with my friend Garth.   Garth believes in making apologies and restitution.   It took several months, but Garth finally convinced the young man that these were necessary steps, so he tried to arrange a meeting with the business owner.                The business owner wanted nothing to do with this situation.   He was angry and wanted a more severe form of justice.   Eventually, however, he agreed to meet the young man to hear what he had to say.                  The young man looked the business owner in the eye an...

The Art of Noticing.... Seeing what we need to see and what we miss when we don't

 What we focus on in life matters. Here are some scriptural reminders that will help us see correctly.  https://youtu.be/Rn76tV0ZH8s    

New Article: Think Abundance Not Scarcity

                 “There are no trees in Saskatchewan!”                I have heard that statement many times, mostly from people who moved to Estevan from places like British Columbia or northern Ontario.   Compared to what they expect, Saskatchewan, and Estevan in particular, seems rather barren.   However, that statement is not true.   More than half the province is covered with trees.   Go up north and there are trees everywhere.                A few months ago, I came across an aerial photo of Estevan from the 1950s.   When I showed it to my girls, the first thing they said was, “Wow, there are no trees in that picture!”   The photo looked odd ...