Walk by Faith
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.” – Matthew 14:24-33.
For we walk by faith, not by sight. – 2 Corinthians 5:7.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. – Hebrews 11:6.
Here is another attempt to explain away one of the miracles of Jesus. Professor Doron Nof, who is an oceanographer at Florida State University says, “if you ask me if I believe someone walked on water, no, I don’t. I believe something natural was there that explains it.”
Professor Nof’s explanation is that there may have been a freak cold spell forming patches of ice known as “springs ice” which would have been able to support a man’s weight. Professor Nof writes, “Because of the size of the springs ice, a person standing or walking on it would appear to a distant observer to be walking on water.” According to Nof’s research, there was colder than normal weather pattern in northern Israel 1,500 to 2,600 years ago.
People have been trying to explain away the miracles of the Bible from the time that they began to occur. Do you believe that God exists or that He does not exist (Hebrews 11:6)? If you believe that God does not exist, you would naturally try to explain away every miraculous event. However, if you believe that God does exist then, it is very easy for you to accept that Jesus, who was fully God, while being fully man, was able to walk on water. After all, since God created everything He should be able to suspend the laws of nature if He decides to do so.
To believe the Bible is true and the miracles of the Bible are true requires faith. To believe upon Jesus for salvation is a matter of faith. If we do not believe Jesus could walk on water how can we possibly believe that He died on the cross as the perfect sacrifice thereby providing a Savior to all who will receive Him? Everything about Christianity requires faith.
Here is a definition of faith from the Encarta Online Dictionary which is close to our need for defining faith on a spiritual basis, “belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof.” It takes faith to believe and receive Jesus as your Savior. It takes faith to pray. It takes faith to tithe. It takes faith to witness. It takes faith to serve. It takes faith to go to church. It takes faith to live a moral life instead of a self-gratifying life.
As for me, I choose to believe by faith (i.e. “Without logical proof”) that Jesus literally walked upon water and that Peter did too until he saw the wind. Not only that but also that Jesus the Son of God made the wind stop blowing when He arrived in the boat. How about you? Do you believe? Choose to walk by faith. It is not just about the great miracles of the Bible – it is about everyday living, believing that God is real and that He makes a difference in your life. Walk by faith. Live a life of faith.
(Everything about Christianity requires faith – from initial salvation to prayer to church attendance everything requires faith.)