Let us read from Mathew 14:28,29 , “Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” Jesus walked on the water and Peter also walked on the water. This passage shows the picture of an overcoming life. Peter overcame the law of gravity and other external forces and was able to walk on the water by looking at Jesus and having faith in Him. This is the picture of an overcoming life. God expects all of us to be over-comers. In the beginning of the Bible and at the end of the Bible; this is the message God has for us. In Genesis 4 we read God telling Cain that sin is crouching at the door but that he must overcome it. This was God’s commandment. In Revelation we read the letters written to 7 churches. There is a common message to all the churches – You must overcome. We can see this in Revelation Chapter 2:7, Chapter 2:11, Chapter 2:17, Chapter 2:26, Chapter 3:5, Chapter 3:12 and in Chapter 3:21. All these churches were going through different problems, persecutions and trials; but God had a common message for all of them – to be an overcomer.
In Mathew 14 we read how Jesus commanded Peter to walk on the water. Jesus showed Peter that He was walking on the water and encouraged Peter also to follow him. Jesus thus builds up Peter’s faith. The Bible says that the one who called you is faithful; He will never leave you nor forsake you. When Jesus called Peter, other disciples may have discouraged Peter and said words of unbelief. But Peter looked only at Jesus and had faith in him. God wants us also to be such over-comers. Many Christians may say that to overcome is impossible and may try to discourage us. Let us find encouragement from Peter’s example. Peter overcame the law of gravity. The Bible talks about another law – the law of sin and we have to overcome this law. We can follow Jesus example and overcome the power of sin. In 1 John 2:6 we read, “the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked”. In Romans 6:14 we read that sin shall not master over you if you are under grace. The Bible tells us the overcoming sin is possible for us. It is Jesus who is giving us His word. So it is possible for us to be over-comers. God has given many commandments and promises for us. It is God who said these things, so it is possible for us to follow them. Let us have a prayer that the word that God has given for each of us should be fulfilled in our lives.
In Numbers 13 we read of Joshua and Caleb. They entered the Promised Land because of their faith. They had faith in God and in the commands that God had given them. (verse 30). In 1 Corinthians 15:56, 57 we read, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” It is Jesus who gives us victory. In Romans 7:23-25 we read, “but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin” In Chapter 8:2 we read, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” We read in these verses that Paul was battling against the law of sin, but he had faith that Jesus could set his free from the power of sin and death. He later writes in 2 Corinthians 2:14, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.” Let us have a desire and longing for this overcoming life. God will definitely help us overcome.
In Mathew 14:30, 31 we read, “But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” We see here Peter sinking as soon as he focuses on his surroundings. The Bible says that in this world we will have many problems; but we will always have peace in Jesus. Many things in this world will try to distract our focus on Jesus. We may fall because of these distractions. But if we do fall; let us have Peter’s prayer – ‘Lord, save me!’ God will save us. In Isaiah 45:22 we read, “Look unto me and be saved”. When we are struggling, we have to look to Jesus – He will stretch out His hand and save us. He will make sure that you never sink in the water. It is Jesus who gives us His word. We can have complete faith in it.
Peter obeyed Jesus command to ‘Come’ to Him. In Revelation 22:17 we read, “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.”” God is calling us to come up to an overcoming life. What should be our response? “Yes Lord, I have faith in you and I am coming.” We read in Hebrews 12:1,2, “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Let us fix our eyes on Jesus and run this race that God has set before us.
May God help all of us!
