“And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.” –Matthew 14: 28 & 29
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim. In the light of his glory and grace.”
Safe circumstances do not always produce a feeling of safety. There is a difference between felt safe, and safe. A person who cannot swim, standing in the shallow end is entry safe, although they may not feel that way. Is it true though that felt safety can take place in times of dangerous circumstances?
Take the text above for example, the story of Peter walking on water. The disciples are hunkered down in a boat that is caught in a violent storm. This storm is so violent that even, Peter, a professional fisherman begins to fear. Then comes the Son of Man, walking the sea. Peter desired to walk to Christ. Almost as if he had more confidence with Christ on the rough seas, that without Him in the small vessel. Jesus says: “Come” and out of the boat goes Peter to walk on water. He is totally indifferent to the wind and waves; leaving that which is logical and stepping out into the unnatural. When his focus was on Christ he was safe, and presumably felt safe. He was totally unharmed. It was only when he doubted, when he thought on the circumstance around him, that he began to fear. Think again on Stephen (Acts 7); we find him being stoned for preaching the truth, and while the Pharisees (Jewish scholars of the law) cast large rocks at him with intent to kill he looks towards heaven and steadfastly focus on the Son of God. He then cries “Lord, receive my Spirit.” If you go and read that text carefully, I don’t believe that you will get the feeling Stephen was frantic and clamoring…. he was at peace. He was safe in the arms of Christ, even though his body perished in such a gruesome way. He was so in tuned with Christ and enraptured with the vision of the Son of God standing at the right hand of the Father; what could they do to him, really?
When we focus wholly on the Son of God; completely on Jesus, we find a state of safety. Safety that is felt in our hearts, born from confidence, faith, in Almighty God. There is nothing that can overcome us because the overcomer keeps us when we keep him ever before us. Though many troubles befall us, and tribulation surrounds us, it cannot affect the peace within because the focus is on the Master of the Wind. Our focus is so important, and we must take care to guard it. “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” Matthew 6:22
