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When you are in the middle of a storm, what types of questions do you ask? Those questions might just determine your potential to overcome the tempest. Let’s consider the question Peter asked when Jesus arrived in the middle of that storm at sea.

Peter said to [Jesus], “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” (Matthew 14:28)

Perhaps what Peter intended everyone in the little wooden boat to comprehend was what the nearness of Jesus offered for all of them: “Jesus, if it’s really You, that means that a miracle is about to take place!” 

Peter, the man of adventure and faith, recognized this moment as the opportunity of a lifetime. He knew he could be part of a demonstrative miracle of Jesus, and so he proclaimed, in effect, “Jesus, I want what You’ve got!” 

Peter, the common man, walked on the water with Jesus, the Son of God, superseding the laws of nature. 

Peter, the uneducated (but opinionated) fisherman, used tempestuous waves as literal stepping-stones to reach his beloved Lord. 

Peter, the one who would deny Christ three times, accepted Jesus’s invitation to “Come” to Him outside of a boat in the middle of a storm at sea! 

Yet, when Peter started looking at his circumstances, he saw the force of the wind, and he became frightened. And the instant he took His eyes off Jesus and became more aware of the storm than he was of his Savior, he began to sink. It is clear that if you are more aware of your personal squall than you are of the presence and power of Jesus, like Peter, you will become overwhelmed with fear and find that you are in way over your head. 

The instant Peter reached out and took the hand of Jesus, he was up on the waves again. My weathered friend, even if you have made devastating and unforgettable mistakes in life, take Jesus’s hand! Look into His twinkling eyes and cling to Him with every ounce of strength that remains in your storm-tossed life! 

No matter how long your storm has raged and how violent your circumstances have become, Jesus is not ignoring your tempest. He is on His way and will, indeed, calm your storm in His perfect and complete timing.