Lord, Save Me

Matthew Chapter 14 (Bold emphasis added)

25And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

 26And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

 27But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

 28And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

 29And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

 30But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

 31And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

 32And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

 33Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

I wanted to take a few minutes before I head to bed and just share this with you all.

I had a particularly rough day, in which I became extremely frustrated and even became short-tempered with loved ones. It was difficult to get over those feelings, and up until about 2 hours ago, I hadn't gotten over them.

I am not a Scriptural reference enthusiast; I do not know all the stories in the New Testament by heart, like some individuals I know; but I felt inclined to share this story from the book of Matthew that I was reminded of tonight.

Sometimes I grab my gospel art book when I am going to do my scripture study. On this particular occasion, I found it open to the page with the portrait I shared at the beginning of this post. Immediately, my heart leaped and I found myself studying it intently. I looked up the scripture references, and my heart broke.

I knew I had had a rough day. I knew my heart wasn't feeling particularly grateful, after the frustrations of the day, but that part really hit me, "O thou of little faith..."

Wait, I had little faith?

Why did I? What caused me to go forth as Peter did, unto the water, toward Christ the Lord, and then become overwhelmed at my surroundings and let that faith dwindle and turn to doubt? Why did I start to sink?

"Lord, save me", I thought.

"Lord, why did I doubt?” I wondered.

"Lord, why did I lose faith when thy hand was, and is ever, outstretched directly before me?"

I could not understand why I let that fear and frustration turn into doubt. I could not understand why my faith was so shaken by the circumstances of the day, especially because I feel like I am constantly blessed to be guided daily by my faith in Jesus Christ.

I needed a somewhat gentle reminder; a straightforward, powerful, and intense reminder, that I need to have faith.

I can walk upon any waters that are before me, if I can stay focused on Him, and His love. I must keep that faith, even when the winds are boisterous. Even when the T.V. breaks; when the toilet is leaking; when the family party is postponed due to weather.

I feel like I could have been right there with the disciples as they came to the boat, saying, "Of a truth, thou art the Son of God." I am so grateful for these small, but powerful witnesses of the Savior's love for me. I hope you can feel His love the way I felt it throughout this experience. I am amazed at the power that comes from these special witnesses at the time they happen, and at the way that feeling is magnified as I choose to record it and share it with others.

I love you all, and hope that we can all strive to have a little more faith in the coming New Year.

-H.M.-