They were in the waves and the wind, yet they did not fear the storm. According to Matthew’s account, they weren’t terrified until they saw someone walking across the water. As fishermen, they understood the nature of storms, but seeing a person doing something that’s physically impossible terrifies them.
Peter challenges Jesus to see if it’s really Him. He asks to join Him in this unnatural thing and walk with Him on the water. But when Jesus commands and Peter sets out to do the impossible, the strength of the storm distracts him, pulls his attention away from God and Peter begins to sink, crying out “Lord, save me!”
All of us know what it feels like to have our faith challenged, facing uncertainty and stress. Do we doubt God’s ability to rescue us? When we’re in the middle of our own storm and God appears, do we recognize Him? Do we challenge Him demanding proof that He’s truly with us? And when He responds to us, do we step out in faith and continue walking – or do we take our eyes off Jesus and focus on the storm instead?
As contradictory as it may seem, sometimes difficulties and stress are necessary to help us grow in our faith. Faith is not a life of “chance,” but the conscious act of purposefully choosing a life with a God who loves us! During our testing times, there are only two choices for people of faith:
To look up at the heavens and cry out in doubt, “Oh God, why?”
Or to look deep within us and cry out in faith, “Oh Lord, save us!”
It may be comforting to remember that even the Apostles and saints experienced darkness that caused them to call out, “Lord, I need you!” As a people of faith, we know that God never said it would be easy. He said there is a life to come. It is our human pride and sin that discourages us, that turns us away. But God has a plan for each of us. Always. He will sustain us during our struggles. Always.
Spend a moment reflecting on a time of stress or uncertainty in your life; did you cry out in doubt or in faith? Trust Jesus to stretch out His hand to you as he did to Peter. Lord, we are like Peter, wanting to follow You in faith. We turn to You during times of difficulty, seeking Your outstretched hand.
Estaban entre las olas y el viento, y, sin embargo, no temieron a la tormenta. Según el relato de Mateo, no se aterrorizaron hasta que vieron a alguien caminando sobre las aguas. Como pescadores, comprendían la naturaleza de las tormentas; pero ver a una persona haciendo algo físicamente imposible los aterroriza.
Pedro desafía a Jesús para comprobar si realmente es Él. Le pide unirse a Él en este acto antinatural de caminar con Él sobre el agua. Pero cuando Jesús da la orden y Pedro se dispone a hacer lo imposible, la fuerza de la tormenta lo distrae, aparta su atención de Dios y Pedro comienza a hundirse, clamando: “¡Sálvame, Señor!”
Todos sabemos lo que se siente cuando nuestra fe es puesta a prueba, al enfrentarnos a la incertidumbre y al estrés. ¿Dudamos de la capacidad de Dios para rescatarnos? Cuando nos encontramos en medio de nuestra propia tormenta y Dios aparece, ¿lo reconocemos? ¿Lo desafiamos, exigiéndole pruebas de que verdaderamente está con nosotros? Y cuando nos responde, ¿damos un paso de fe y seguimos caminando, o apartamos la vista de Jesús para centrarnos en la tormenta?
Por contradictorio que parezca, a veces las dificultades y el estrés son necesarios para ayudarnos a crecer en la fe. La fe no es una vida de «casualidades», sino el acto consciente de elegir deliberadamente una vida junto a un Dios que nos ama. Durante nuestros tiempos de prueba, solo existen dos opciones para las personas de fe:
Alzar la vista hacia los cielos y clamar con duda: “Oh, Dios, ¿por qué?”
O mirar en lo más profundo de nuestro interior y clamar con fe: “¡Oh, Señor, sálvanos!”
Puede resultar reconfortante recordar que incluso los apóstoles y los santos experimentaron momentos de oscuridad que los llevaron a exclamar: “¡Señor, te necesito!”. Como pueblo de fe, sabemos que Dios nunca dijo que el camino sería fácil. Él dijo que existe una vida a futuro. Es nuestro orgullo humano y nuestro pecado lo que nos desanima, lo que nos aparta. Pero Dios tiene un plan para cada uno de nosotros. Siempre. Él nos sostendrá durante nuestras luchas. Siempre.
Dedica un momento a reflexionar sobre alguna etapa de estrés o incertidumbre en tu vida: ¿clamaste con duda o con fe? Confía en que Jesús extenderá Su mano hacia ti, tal como lo hizo con Pedro. Señor, somos como Pedro; deseamos seguirte con fe. Recurrimos a ti en los momentos de dificultad, buscando que nos extiendes tu mano.
Shelly Henley Kelly is a wife, mother of three, and native Texan who writes and records a podcast with her sister on Of Sound Mind and Spirit and is a regular contributor to Catholic Mom. When not writing or recording, Shelly can be found volunteering as a Youth Ministry Catechist, keeping the scorebook at her son’s baseball games, diving deep into historical research, or hiding with a good book in between games.
Feature Image Credit: Engin Akyurt, pexels.com/photo/dramatic-storm-clouds-over-tranquil-ocean-36179766/
The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.
Daily Reading
Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest
Readings for the Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest Reading 1 Jeremiah 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22 The following message came to Jeremiah from the LORD:For thus says the LORD, the God…
Saint of the Day
Saint John Marie Vianney
Saint John Marie Vianney, the curé of Ars, spent up to 12 hours daily hearing confessions, canonized in 1925, and patron of parish priests. The post Saint John Marie Vianney