Passage of the Day:
Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”-Matthew 14:25-31
Reflection:
In this age of participation awards, the professional world is more cutthroat than ever before. While I remember the pain of getting cut from the Boys Basketball team twice as a junior high athlete, the first 40 years of my life was filled with success. Nearly every job I interviewed for I received an offer and each sport I competed in resulted in numerous victories with a few championships. Yet, now as a middle-aged white male who can barely get a first interview, God is teaching me the difficult lesson of falling forward when your faith fails.
Prayerful Action:
“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly[f] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them,” Mark 11:22-23.
Working Out Your Salvation:
Besides Jesus, the New Testament records the actions, behaviors and life of Peter more than any other first century individual. While the apostle Paul writes numerous epistles, the focus of these letters is to challenge congregations to draw closer to Jesus. Perhaps, the reason Peter is mentioned so much is that Christians can identify with him. How cool would be to actually walk on water, even if it was just for a few seconds? Yet, the moment Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and began to focus on his surroundings, Peter’s faith failed. Therefore, the next time you fail miserably, make sure that you fall forward to avoid making the same mistakes over and over again.
Song of the Day:
Today’s lyrics talk about individuals who are a slave to their past. May the lesson of Peter failing to walk on water and the message of Water into Wine give you the strength to fall forward the next time your faith fails.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 