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Get out of the Boat



            “Shortly before dawn 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” (Matthew 14:25-29).
            I have a simple question for you: Why did Peter ask to get out of the boat?
            I mean, he had spent his whole life being a fisherman.  He had been through many storms on that lake.  He knew that the best place to be was in the boat, so why did he ask to get out of it?
            I do not think that Peter was trying to test Jesus’ power.  If that was the case, he could have asked for a safer miracle like, “Lord, if it is you, transport me to the shore instantly!” 
            I think that Peter asked to get out of the boat for one reason:  He wanted to be close to Jesus!
            That is his whole motivation.  He knew that he was in trouble and he knew that if he could just get close to Jesus that everything would be ok.  If being close to Jesus meant getting out of the boat and walking on the water in a storm, so be it.  (Note that he did say to Jesus “Let me walk on the water” but rather “Tell me to come to you”!)
            Too many Christians these days try to live their lives apart from Christ.  They like to pray to him and ask him for help when it is necessary, but taking a risk to be nearer to him never crosses their mind.  The truth is, though, that things only start to change when we get close to him. 
            Think of it this way:  If you had two magnets, one in each hand, and you held them at arm’s length apart, what would happen?  Nothing!  However, if you started moving those magnets closer and closer to one another, eventually they would act upon each other and “snap” together. 
            What is true about magnets is also true about us and Jesus:  Distance determines impact.
            Peter could have stayed where he was and played it safe, but he knew that the best place to be was with Jesus and he was willing to do anything to get there.
             What about you?

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