By DANNY MINTON

Seemingly without hesitation, placing his hand on the side, he stepped out of the boat. The walk was a short one, only a few feet. Without question, he would have made it if only he hadn’t looked down. As his thoughts switched to the gentle waves of the water below his feet, he probably thought, “I can’t do this,” and began to sink. Only a few moments earlier, as his eyes focused on Jesus, Peter walked on water. His downfall came when his focus switched from Jesus to the water. “Lord save me!” he yelled in panic, reaching out toward a waiting savior. Immediately, Jesus reached out and took hold of Peter, and Peter, once again, walked on water, this time arm in arm with the Lord, safely back to the boat. 

As long as Peter looked at Jesus, he could walk on the water. With Jesus as the focus of his attention, he could accomplish anything. Jesus called him; he stepped out of the boat and walked on the water. For one brief moment, his fears, inhibitions, lack of confidence, and doubts were nonexistent. After all, the Savior had called him forth, so with his eyes and faith focused on Him, he did what no mortal man could do. He walked on water. Peter had been fishing many times before and had probably found himself falling in a time or two. But this time was different. He was with Jesus. And with Jesus, he had powers that he could never have alone, powers only available because he trusted in the Savior. But as soon as he looked away from the source of his strength, he began to sink.  

However, the one thing Peter did as he sank was something most people would fail to do. In his panic, he didn’t start swimming back to the boat. As he began to sink, he reached out to Jesus and cried, “Lord, save me!” He knew help was as near as his voice, and he had the faith and wisdom to call out to the one person who could help him in his time of need. When he reached out and called upon Jesus, Jesus, arm outstretched, guided him, arm in arm, walking again on the water and back to the boat.

Isaiah’s words proclaimed that same message centuries before. When we put our trust in our individual abilities and strengths, we will only end up stumbling and falling. “Those who wait upon the Lord will gain new strength.”  The men and women who can face life with all its struggles are those who keep their eyes focused on God and his ability to carry them through whatever happens. Our frailty comes to light because we often ask ourselves, “What can I do to help the situation?” We worry about it, toss and turn in bed over it, and agonize daily over how we can solve our problems. Our biggest problem is that we spend so much time looking at the water we fail to look up and realize that help is only an arm’s length away.  

In 1974, my wife and two friends went on a Vacation Bible School trip to Duluth, Minnesota. Passing through De Moines, Iowa, we began looking for the place where we were to stay the night. Being stubborn, like most male drivers, we drove around the sights and sounds of De Moines for at least an hour before we stopped to ask for directions to our destination. After that, it only took ten minutes to get there. The same is the way we are in life. We struggle with our personal inabilities for untold hours before we finally turn to the One who could help us all along. Our human pride, carried over from our stubborn infancy, keeps us from truly seeking help and strength from the only source that can carry us through.  

Many long-distance runners talk about how after they run for a while and feel they can’t run any longer, a sudden new “second wind” overcomes them, and it seems like they could keep running forever. In a way, Isaiah says, “God is your second wind.”  Those who trust God will never be exhausted by their struggles because they have the Lord to help carry the load. As the eagle soars and floats on its strong, massive wings, so shall we soar on the wings of God.

In our walk with Christ, we should remind ourselves that God has to be first and foremost in every step we take. If he is not, then our journey will be a tough one. Remember, Satan wants us to fail. He wants us to give up. He wants us to turn against our love for one another. He wants that desire to fade away. He wants us to question, “Why God?” He wants us to lose that longing that made us want to serve the Lord. If we live a life without having Jesus in our thoughts and actions, we give Satan a foothold. He’ll jump at the first chance he gets to discourage us. Satan wants to destroy the relationship that we hold with the Savior.

I was a Boy Scout for about two months, maybe the shortest scout term in history. But I still remember our motto, “Be Prepared.” When we choose to follow Christ, it’s vital to be prepared for the life of service He expects. Let’s be honest; Satan hates to lose. He wants to win! He knows the best way to defeat the church is to start with those who are strong. If you can destroy those who lead, then those who follow will often tumble after them. If you want to be a faithful follower of Christ, be prepared. Be prepared to be surprised. Be prepared to face ridicule. Be prepared to hear things you wish you could forget. Be prepared to have people angry with you. Be prepared to have the world ridicule your actions and motives. It will happen, and every time Satan sees an opening, he will attack! But the only way Satan will win is if we let him. He’ll get good Christians to give up. He’ll discourage the strong. He’ll do everything possible to break their faith, spirit, and desire to serve and follow.

In John 15, Jesus warned his followers that they would be hated and persecuted because of Him. In Matthew 5 and the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls those blessed who are insulted, persecuted, and wrongly accused. Pain, struggles, and heartache come with being a faithful servant. To be a true Christian means you’ll have to face Satan head-on in battle every day as he attacks us, our families, and those close to us.

But those who wait upon God never give up. They see in life or death nothing but victory because they belong to God. Even when discouraged, they know that if they will be like King David and keep returning to God, he will renew their strength. They know that with God on their side, Jesus is as near as our voice and will take hold of us if we reach out to him. With Jesus, we can be assured that “THE ENEMY CANNOT WIN!”

Danny Minton is a former Elder and minister at Southern Hills Church of Christ