And Peter…walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid.”

Peter wanted to go to where his beloved Jesus was, walking on the top of the waters of Lake Galilee, and Jesus invited him to come. As Peter stepped out of the boat onto the water, he stood, then took a step and then another. He too was walking on the top of the lake. Then he noticed the waves and immediately sank.

Our lives are much like that. We desire to walk with Christ daily and many of us do, at least for a while. Then there sets in the waves – the distractions of everyday living that create worry and stress in our routines. Perhaps it’s a notice from the bank of an overdraft or a run-in with the neighbor over his dog. Maybe our friends are not doing things the way we would like them to do things or perhaps our family is riding our case over something that we think is none of their business. Whatever it is, it is nothing more than the waves of the water we are walking on along with our Savior. The distraction and taking our eyes off Jesus is the point where we sink.

When the waves raise their boisterousness around us, perhaps we could maintain our footing if, instead of letting go of Jesus in order to deal with “earthly distractions” we invited Him to help us through the solution. This is the “casting our yoke” upon Him. Two draft animals pulling side by side in a yoke can make far more headway than one pulling alone.

God has said that we will not be given any more than we are able to handle and few of us realize that what this means is not abandoning God in the midst of waves, but clinging to God in those times. With that concept, we will not sink or be overwhelmed but rather we will experience victory every single time.

God of Peace and Serenity, may we always walk with You in the midst of the waves of our world, and through holding Your hand, may our footsteps be secure on the waters of earthly life.