Lifted up to Lift up
Matthew 14:31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him, and said to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt?
Here we see the disciples in a ship during a storm, fearing greatly for their lives. In all their human strength they are powerless to stay above water and make it to the other side of the sea. Suddenly, when all strength seems gone and all hope seems lost, they see Jesus walking on the water. Peter cries out, Jesus, if it is you, tell me to walk to you on the water! Jesus replies, Come.
At this moment Peter steps out of the boat and onto the water. He miraculously begins to walk to Jesus on top of the waves. In other words, he is walking in a place where his own human strength could never tread. This is what the water represents, strengthless places. Places where our own human strength and efforts will always fail. Peter is walking with Jesus in places where human strength can never stand. Hats off to Peter!
Yet, we know the rest of the story, don't we?
The winds and the waves are crashing all around Peter and he takes his eyes off of Jesus and places them upon the storm. In doing so, he quickly begins to sink. In other words, he has no more strength to stand. In his storm, his strength has left him and he can no longer walk.
So often this is the way we feel. We have become so discouraged because a circumstance has invaded our lives, and after a short time we feel our strength has left us. We find ourselves sinking quickly in our doubts and fears, with no strength to stand.
Yet, going back to our story we see Jesus, in His unfailing faithfulness, stretching out His hand. He grasps sinking Peter and lifts him up and over the waves. The Lord would not allow him to drown in his fears and doubts.
So often we think this is the last word in the story
So often we believe Jesus' words to Peter, Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt? is where this story ends. However, this is not where the story ends. Peter sinking in the crashing waves and Jesus loving reproof is not the end of this account. After the incident of the storm, Peter continued to follow Jesus and something transpired in his life that places a whole new ending to this story.
This story actually ends in the book of Acts.
Acts 3:2 Now a man who was lame from birth was carried to the temple gate called Beautiful
Vs 7And Peter took him by the right hand and lifted him up and immediately his feet and his ankle bones received strength
Do you see what just happened?! The one who had been lifted up is now lifting up!
The same mercy and strength that lifted Peter out of his storm is now abiding in Peter's life, lifting others up. In other words, Peter has now become Christ's hand extended.
Beloved, be encouraged! We are lifted up in order to lift up!
The same Christ who was faithful to work in Peter's life is faithfully working in our lives.
We may be sinking in some places, but the power of Christ in our lives is lifting us up out of these places. One day soon we will become Christ's hand extended. The power that lifted us up is now operating in our lives, lifting others out of their powerless places.
God be praised!
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