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Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage. It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said.
                                                                                                                Matthew 14:22-28
 

Sometimes it’s hard to tell if the spirit who is calling us in a certain direction is really Jesus or not. Like the disciples in the boat, we can’t always be sure what it is we’re seeing on the horizon. It might be Jesus who is walking towards us on the water, but it could just as easily be a ghost. And we certainly risk foolishness if we get out of the boat too soon and try walking on the water only to find that it wasn’t Jesus after all. But it can be just as foolish to remain stuck in our doubts – to feel we need absolute proof before we can move.

Perhaps Peter’s response is best. While the rest of the disciples hesitate in fear because they aren’t sure what is out there, Peter puts this uncertainty to a simple test: “Lord, if it’s you,” he says, “tell me to come to you on the water.” It is a wonderful method that applies to the many ambiguities we often face in our discernment.

Consider your sense of being “stuck” between two options as similar to the disciples’ experience of rowing against the wind throughout the night. We are trying to discern God’s will but we’re getting nowhere. Then suddenly, we see the faint hint of what might be Jesus walking toward us, but we’re not sure. It could also be a ghost.

With such little information to go on we’re not sure if we should move or stay put. And so we simply ask the only Person who can verify God’s presence to us, “Is that really You I am seeing Lord? And, if so, would you call me to walk on the water with You?

Discernment is not simply a matter of asking whether the winds are favourable, or whether the water can support us. It is concerned mostly with the question of whether or not the voice we are hearing is truly Jesus. Like Peter, we should let Jesus confirm the validity of His presence before we set out in a particular direction. If we sense the Lord inviting us, it is simply a matter of finding the faith to follow Him on the water of uncertainty. But if the Lord does not confirm His presence to us, then we are best to stay in the boat – to keep rowing against the prevailing winds until we are more certain who is calling us to this direction or decision.
                                                                 [Rob Des Cotes - Imago Dei Christian Community]

For Reflection:

 1. Reflect on experiences in which you’ve had a faint sense that God is calling you to go in a certain direction or undertake a particular task. How have you discerned God’s voice in these times?
 
2. Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water. Why is Peter’s response to Jesus such a good example to follow in times of uncertainty and fear?
 
3. The faith and courage to act is a gracious gift from God. Reflect on times when you’ve been aware of receiving these gifts, as well as times when it has remained very difficult to ‘get out of the boat!’  
 

For Prayer:
 

Consider areas in your life in which you have felt stuck and burdened in just maintaining the status quo. Offer these to God and ask for his grace and patience as you wait for his direction.

 
14But I trust in you, Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in your hands;
16Let your face shine on your servant;
    save me in your unfailing love.
 
16Praise be to the Lord,
    for he showed me the wonders of his love
    when I was in a city under siege.
 
23Love the Lord, all his faithful people!
    The Lord preserves those who are true to him,
    but the proud he pays back in full.
24 Be strong and take heart,
    all you who hope in the Lord.
                                Psalm 31

Photo by Sebastian Rück on Unsplash