Eye on the Prize

In this world we live in today, there are many things that can make us take our eyes off God. The present state of the economy, endless crime, parents turning against children, children disobeying parents; not to mention the ultimate disconnect that is forming between God, and his children. If we place our minds back on Peter, we realize that in Matthew, Peter got out of the boat, and walked towards Jesus. However, when the wind blew Peter became afraid. I want to stop right there to define wind. In this context, wind is not used just in the literal term. Wind is that obstacle, that thing, that enemy, that Nemesis, that job that one is tired of, that child that won’t do right, that illness in your body, that mate that won’t compromise, that struggle within oneself, that past that keeps haunting you in your present state. The wind is anything that keeps you, or deters you from staying on the path that God has already set for you, and believing in the things that God has promised you.

Now, Peter was walking on the water, and had his eyes on Jesus, but as the wind blew he became afraid. The word tells me that he began to sink. Now, isn’t it funny how we have all this power, no-how, and spirit filled presence when things go our way. We often believe in the fallacy of life. We will receive food that was prepared by an unknown person, and eat with no fear. We will take medicine that the doctor (who is man) says will cure you, and have no knowledge of what it is, but take it with no fear. We have frequent flyer miles that tells us that we stay up in the air on a plane, and we trust the pilot, with no fear. However, a man that says I will be with you, a Man that says, I will sustain you, tells us keep your eyes on me, and walk on water, and we look down in fear, and begin to sink. Sink in our careers. Sink in our health. Sink in our finances. Sink in our families. Sink in or successes. All because we took our eyes off Jesus.

Now, Peter, once he began to sink, cried out “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

Isn’t it funny how when Peter cried out for Jesus, Jesus stepped in and saved him even though his faith was wavering? Furthermore, pay attention to the fact that the wind calmed as soon as Peter got back in the boat. How many of us know that sometimes God does things to challenge, and test our faith. It was not by coincidence that the wind blew just as Peter got out on the water, and stopped as soon as He got in the boat. Often, He will test us, challenge us, and place obstacles in our way just to make us stronger in Him.

I loved to think of God as the chess player, and we are the pieces on the board. If we stand in our respective places, and allow the man that knows the game, knows that way to win, and knows where to move us in order to place us in the best position for the victory take over, we will find life that much easier. You see, I figured out that God is waiting for us to realize these vital points. It’s nothing like that “Ah Ha! Moment.”

I will end with this short story:

There was once a little girl and her father that were crossing a bridge. The father was kind of scared so he asked his little daughter, "Sweetheart, please hold my hand so that you don’t fall into the river."The little girl said, "No, Dad. You hold my hand.""What’s the difference?" asked the puzzled father."There’s a big difference," replied the little girl."If I hold your hand and something happens to me, chances are that I may let your hand go. But if you hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what happens, you will never let my hand go."

Now, someone missed that. There is a difference in us holding on to God’s hand, and God holding on to our hand. God’s hand is forever present. No matter when we walk away, doubt him, fall short of his glory, his hand is still there. However, just like the little girl, if we become sick, money looks funny, classes are to hard to handle, friends talk about us, people scandalize our names, thing just don’t go our way, we begin to let our hand slip. This causing a disconnect from our father. You see if we let God hold our hand, it is only up to us to walk the other way. He doesn’t leave us, we stray from him.

I am so glad to know a man that takes me, all my faults, all my doubts, and even when the wind blows, and I may take my eyes off of him, he still keeps his hand on me. I am a living, breathing testimony that God will stand in presence of our doubts. He will step in when we are blinded by our pain. And he will never leave us, he will always be there when we turn to him.

Let God be over your life. Let God sustain you. Let God be your chess player. Let God direct your paths. And understand that even when times get hard, we are never buried, however, we are just planted, and sometimes DIRT is needed to grow.

I hope this blesses someone and that we will all grow closer and draw nearer to his unchanging hand.

God bless you!