Firm enough to walk on!

Forever, O Lord,
Your word stands firm in heaven.
Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
(Psalm 119:89-90A)

Having been struck by the absolute faithfulness of God according with His word as I read the above one morning, its light continued to shine a path for my soul’s further instruction in a later reading in Matthew’s Gospel. The Gospel reading that day was the fourteenth chapter but it was as I read verses 22-33, that a deep comfort came to me through a sense of a deepening grounding in the truth. Although known well by Spirit-born believers in Yeshua the Son of the one true God, that truth was – is – the power and certainty of the word of God. By grace through faith, it is firm enough to walk on! This we know yet how often we become forgetful in the fear-triggering afflictions, testings and all manner of trials in these difficult last days. How much I find myself in need of being reminded – for it so often comes back to mind as I read and feed upon the word, wherever I may be ‘gleaning’. I am certain that I cannot be the only one!

Matthew 14:22-33 records this:

Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.  But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.  Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”  And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

What struck me as I read that morning was not so much the great miracle of Lord Yeshua walking upon the sea, nor Peter being so enabled to also walk on the sea, though not that far! It was that Peter did not so much as step out of the boat onto the sea but rather stepped out of the boat onto the word of God upon the sea. It was the word Yeshua spoke to Peter commanding him to ‘Come’ (v29), believed and trusted upon by Peter which enabled him to do so. Here was the deepening into my soul of the light of the word of truth from God as I meditated upon it! There is a sense in which the Lord’s word to Peter was no ordinary word but something like ‘a command word’. A word of power (consider e.g. Ecclesiastes 8:4).

As I thought more on this the account of Lord Yeshua raising Lazarus from the dead came to mind (see John 11:1-45). When the Lord commanded Lazarus, who was dead and buried four days, to ‘come forth’ he did! Even death could not resist the power of the word of command of God! Moreover, my thoughts were led back to the account of creation’s beginning, of how God spoke and it was, (see Genesis 1, and ponder on this pattern repeated again and again at verses 3, 6-7, 9, 11, 14-15, 20-21, 24, 26-27). In addition, as though to bed in the truth with firmness within for that morning, the account of Lord healing of the centurion’s servant at Matthew 8:5-13 followed behind in my thoughts. In particular it was the explanation given by the centurion of his belief that Yeshua had the power and authority to in fact do what he asked. Matthew 8:8-9 records this:

The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.  For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

In Peter’s case, he was not just asking the Lord Yeshua for a word of encouragement or help or direction but His word of power which would enable him to do the impossible – in his case, to walk on that sea. In stormy winds to boot!

But then he grew afraid. As so do we at times.

Matthew 14:30 records: ‘But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying “Lord, save me!” I’m sure all of us in that situation would have struggled with the same fear Peter had, for his fear led him to doubt – and who has not struggled with this at times! Let’s be clear hear: this struggle with doubt is a struggle with a lack or failure of faith in Lord Yeshua the Messiah, in God. Peter doubted the word of God in that instant – he doubted the power and firmness of that word which Yeshua spoke to him. Consider again the Lord’s response to Peter: ‘And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31). O, the marvellous grace and help of God to us!

Peter, at this point of his discipleship was a man in training in total trust in God, in Lord Yeshua. God did not let Peter sink and He who remains ever faithful will not let us sink as we continue in the obedience of The Faith, trusting in Lord Yeshua. These are indeed dark and difficult days of increasing sufferings, challenges, purifying as well as times of victories and joy in Lord Yeshua. In the ups and downs of pilgrimage and labours of ministry for His name, let us not doubt, but continue to trust in Lord Yeshua, trust in God, trust in the absolute firmness of His word to us in Messiah, forever settled in Heaven. May the Lord help us all so to do.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
(Proverbs 3:5-6)

The word of Almighty God in and through Messiah Yeshua is firm enough for us to walk on, His grace helping us, through the faith He has given us in Him. It will not return on to Him void (Isaiah 55:10-11). May the Holy Spirit of God in us and with us whom, He has birthed into the Kingdom grant His assurance of these things as we continue in the word of God, trusting and obeying.

Until He comes or calls, shalom.