Day 33 | Peter

Read Matthew 14:22-33

Peter was a commercial fisherman living with his wife in the lakeside town of Capernaum, in the region of Galilee. His brother, Andrew, was apparently Jesus’ first disciple, but Andrew quickly brought Peter to Jesus, making Peter one of the earliest followers of Jesus, too. Peter subsequently became a pillar in the Jesus movement, and his influence for Jesus remains deep even to this day.

After the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus sent the disciples ahead of Him to cross the lake in a boat. Peter must have spent countless hours on the lake, but he had never seen anything like he did that night. In the hour just before dawn, as they struggled against the wind, Peter and the others saw Jesus—walking across the water! The Bible doesn’t explain why Jesus decided to walk across the lake, but Peter’s
response is remarkable: despite his fear, Peter stepped out of the boat and walked with Jesus. Peter expressed, even if only for a moment, profound courage in the presence of Jesus.

Courage is not the absence of fear. Nor should it be confused with swagger—the stunts of fools. Rather, courage is a steely resolve to do the right thing regardless of the risk. Courage doesn’t demand that we discount our fears. Instead, courage demands that we push through them. Courage is the decision to stay faithful to your vows, even when it hurts. Courage is the refusal to compromise at work, even when it costs. Courage is the willingness to share the gospel with your neighbors, even when it’s weird.

So what about you? In what storm do you find yourself? Can you find your courage? Through his courage, Peter stepped out of the boat and into history. Now it’s your turn. Get out of the boat!

Pray for 10 minutes