“And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” Matthew 14:29 (NASB) 95.

Three of the gospels give the account of Jesus walking on the water, but only Matthew tells of Peter’s reaction. Two sets of reactions that Peter has are very relatable to all of us. Fear, and fearlessness. Faith, and lack of faith.

There is good reason to fear. Peter and the disciples have heard of the execution of John the Baptist; they are hated by the religious leaders; they live under a repressive Roman government; they are rowing against dangerous waves; and now they see what seems to be a ghost walking on the water. When Jesus calls out that it is He, all of Peter’s fear leaves. When his eyes are on Jesus, he attempts the impossible. When his eyes are on Jesus, he has tremendous faith. What I find exciting about this event is that Peter attempts the difficult thing and succeeds. Yes, he was distracted, but Jesus saves him. He does not drown; he does not fail. Jesus is there to save him.

With Jesus, our fear turns to fearlessness (Be strong and courageous, Joshua 1:9). When Jesus is with us, our doubt turns to faith.

During our recent Covenant Brethren Annual Meeting, one man from one of our Covenant Brethren Churches spoke with a stranger in a nearby grocery store. As their conversation continued, the man shared how he was having a Bible study in his home each Saturday and that they had been praying for a church to worship in. They spoke Spanish and could not find a church that had a service in their language. The CBC members came back to the conference to find help for the small group. He found a nearby congregation that was willing to give the group space to worship on Saturday evening. A time that was not used by the home congregation. As I saw God’s hand in this, I kept thinking, how many times do we have an opportunity to speak to a stranger about Jesus? Many times, or most times, we talk ourselves out of speaking because of fear of what the other person may say or think. Thankfully, that is not what happened in this case. Now a small Bible study group is well on its way to becoming a church.

Whether it’s as dramatic as walking on water with Jesus or as simple as greeting a stranger in a store, let us not be fearful or doubtful, but allow God to work in our lives. This is how the Kingdom of God grows.

Scott Kinnick- CBC Ex. Board