Who Has the Power?

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” ³¹ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him… Matthew 14: 30 – 31a ESV

How often are we in a storm in life, and all we can see is the winds and the waves, and we are terrified – the storm is taking up all the space, filling our gaze and blinding us to the very help that is already with us.  Jesus comes walking on the water – a reminder of the same God who parted the red sea, now stands on the water with the storm under His feet. The scriptures say the world is His footstool, and darkness is under His feet; it says that Jesus has given us the same authority to trample on serpents and scorpions.

When Jesus came walking on the water, with the storm under His feet – the storm did not cease. The storm continued, but it had no power over Jesus’ authority or safety, nor did it have any power over those under the authority of Jesus.  Jesus says, TAKE HEART; it is I, so you do not have to be afraid.  Essentially, He is saying, do not be afraid because I am with you.  You do not have to fear this storm, nor fear your life because the I AM is here. I AM LORD over this storm; I AM LORD over your fear; I AM LORD over your life.

Peter sees Jesus; he really sees Him, and says, Lord, if this is You – if You are really the Messiah then say to me come out onto the water – let me walk on water with You.  How bold? He would have been afraid, but something was overriding his fear. He could see Jesus as LORD, and this revelation was more powerful than his fear.

Jesus invited him to come, and he begins walking on the water towards Jesus…. As he is walking, he gets his eyes off of His LORD and onto the reality of the storm. Both are real, both are tangible, both are right in front of him… but what he chooses to look at reveals what has power over him. A focus on fear is submission to fear, a focus on the storm is submission to the storm, a focus on Jesus is submission to Jesus and his authority over the storm.

The storm is real and true, but as long as Peter is fixed on the storm, he is subjected to the power of that storm. He will be tossed to and fro by the wind, waves and darkness.  Jesus is also REAL, and He is TRUTH over the POWER of the storm. In fact, the storm is subject to Christ’s power and authority. Christ reveals that the storm is under His feet, he is LORD over the storm, and when Peter’s eyes are on Him, he can walk in the same authority to walk on water with Jesus.

When Peter looks at the storm raging, he begins to sink, and he cried out, LORD, SAVE ME.  Right here, we see the power of salvation – JESUS’ NAME MEANS GOD SAVES – when we cry out to Jesus, we are literally saying SAVE ME GOD – SAVE ME FROM THIS STORM. Save me from the darkness that rages around me, this darkness that wants to rule me.

“Lord save me” is a powerful posture of the heart – Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs are the kingdom of heaven. “Lord save me” confesses the reality of humility and our need of saving – the reality that without saving, we will die. Without Christ saving us, we are completely dead in our sin and darkness.

Peter cries out for his very life – Lord save me, and Jesus IMMEDIATELY took out His hand. When we come to Jesus, truly recognizing our poverty, Jesus responds IMMEDIATELY with an outstretched hand to save us from the darkness and storms and bring us back to life under His covering and protection.

Jesus says to Peter, oh, you of little faith. Why do you doubt? Whenever Jesus confronts a lack of faith, it’s not because there is no faith. Anyone who reads this story would say that Peter has tremendous faith; he is the only one who stepped out of the boat – he was the only one who saw Jesus’ power and authority and believed that He could do that for him as well. He had tremendous faith compared to everyone else in the boat and even you and I (if we put ourselves in that situation).

But Jesus is not comparing His faith to anyone else – in fact, He is not even saying that Peter has no faith at all – He is saying, “Peter, your faith is ineffective or deficient.”  Peter needed a greater revelation of Christ as the I AM, The Messiah, so that his faith would be unshaken, even in a storm.

After all this, Jesus calms the storm – revealing His authority to do so, and the disciples worshipped Him saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” A revelation is unfolding of His identity, and as this revelation comes, transformation comes.  Just the same with us, every time another part of Christ, our Messiah, is revealed to us through the Holy Spirit – transformation happens in what we see.

We can be in the hardest storms of life – yet when a revelation of I AM comes in the midst of the storm, TRANSFORMATION always follows. The situation may not change, but everything changes.  If Jesus can calm the STORM that rages in our hearts, then it does not really matter what the reality of the storm is around us because ONE WHO HAS GREATER AUTHORITY IS WITH US. The one to whom the very storm is subjected is with us. So in your storm today, who has the power?

Lord, help us to fully submit to Your LORDSHIP in the storms of life. For you, oh Lord, are the only one in whom our storms are subject to. May we come under Your protection and covering as the storm rages. We fix our eyes on You, and we put our faith and trust in You. Amen.