Lord, save me!

[Peter] cried out, "Lord, save me!" - Matthew 14:30

This is the famous exclamation from Peter as he started sinking, after he had walked a few steps on water towards Jesus. While we see the weak faith of Peter in this episode, there is much to learn from him as fellow believers.

First, when all is dark with waves beating about the boat, and while he and his fellow disciples were still shivering from seeing a ghost-like figure on the water, whose identity they can't be sure, he responded by asking the figure to command him [Peter] to walk on water in the darkness towards Him if He is the Lord. Why bother, we wonder? After all, he could have just waited and remained huddled together with the other disciples, while they recover from the fear of seeing what they thought was a ghost. There's safety in numbers, isn't it?

Instead, Peter mustered all his courage and threw the interesting poser. And the next thing he knew, he was walking on water under the supernatural power of Jesus! It was a faith-building moment, probably more personally uplifting than the miracle he just witnessed the day before as more than 5000 persons were fed with 5 loaves of bread & 2 fishes. Alas, like anyone of us, doubts seeped in, and he started sinking. But, here again is something amazing about this man. Peter did not turn to his own strength or to his pals on the boat. Having just experienced the power of God, he knew with certainty that the man who commanded him to walk was unmistakenably the Lord Jesus Christ. He did what most of us can do well to learn from - he cried out to the Lord to save him.

We tend to look to our own resources when troubles come along, turning only to God as a last resort; Peter, a seasoned fisherman familiar with the rough and tumble of the sea, however, turned to God first before anything else.

And what was Jesus' response to his cry for help? Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him - Matthew 14:31. Yes, Jesus chided Peter for having little faith, but He responded the moment Peter cried out to Him. Have we ever doubted God's readiness to help us when we cry out for help? This should settle it once and for all. God is ever ready to help when we are humble and sincere enough to ask.

And you know something? Peter may have doubted and demonstrated a lack of faith in Jesus' eyes, but at the same time, he demonstrated a lot more faith than anyone else on the boat that night. He couldn't have seen Jesus' face in all that darkness, and all he could make out was a voice that spoke. But because he heard the assuring words of Jesus, "It is I. Don't be afraid." - Matthew 14:27, he took the step of faith that no one else did that night. He faltered in a weak moment, but it took great faith just as well to reach out and cry, "Lord, save me!". As his strong arm was gently held by the Lord still standing on water, I'm sure it was something that Peter would remember for a long time to come.

May God bless you,
Thomas