In Storm? Cry out to Jesus, who is always there and reaches out to you.

Imagine a night at sea. The sky is dark, and the winds are howling. You’re in a small boat, being tossed by the waves, your heart racing with fear. This is exactly where the disciples found themselves in Matthew 14:22-25. Just hours earlier, they had witnessed one of the most astonishing miracles—Jesus fed 5,000 people with just five loaves and two fish. The disciples had seen something incredible, yet here they were, in the middle of the night, struggling against a storm, terrified and unsure of what was happening. What they didn’t know was that Jesus was using this moment to teach them something deeper about faith and trust in Him. 

This story isn’t just about a storm on the Sea of Galilee; it’s about the storms of life that we all face. We experience times when everything seems out of control, when we’re struggling and afraid, and we’re not sure how we’ll make it through. But in these moments, as we’ll see, Jesus is always near, ready to reach out His hand and rescue us. Today, we’re going to explore three key points from this story: Jesus’ decision to send His disciples ahead into the storm, Peter’s heart and failure to walk on the water, and Jesus’ rescue and restoration. Through this, we’ll see that even when we struggle and fail, Jesus is always there to lift us up and bring us into peace.

After the miraculous feeding of the 5,000, Matthew 14:22 tells us that Jesus immediately made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side while He dismissed the crowd. On the surface, this might seem unusual—why did Jesus send them off so abruptly, and into a storm no less? Jesus, being all-knowing, would have anticipated the rough waters ahead, yet He sent them into the storm anyway. The disciples, unaware of what awaited them, were obedient, but it wouldn’t be long before fear set in.

This leads us to an important question: Why did Jesus send them into the storm? The answer lies in His deep care for their spiritual growth. The disciples had just witnessed an incredible miracle—five loaves and two fish multiplied to feed thousands. But Jesus knew that their faith, while marveling at what He had done, was still incomplete. Their understanding of Him as the Son of God was still fragile. They were amazed, but amazement alone is not enough to sustain faith. Jesus knew they needed more than just a display of power; they needed to experience personal dependence on Him. Sometimes, Jesus allows us to face storms in life, not to harm us, but to strengthen our faith and teach us to trust Him on a deeper level.

As the disciples rowed against the wind and the waves, fear and uncertainty began to creep in. They had just seen Jesus provide for thousands, yet in this moment of struggle, it was easy to forget that power and focus on the immediate problem. How often do we find ourselves in similar situations? After experiencing a blessing or a miracle, we suddenly face a trial, a storm that rocks us to our core. Our faith, which moments before may have felt unshakable, begins to falter. We focus on the waves around us rather than the God who controls them. The disciples, though they had witnessed Jesus’ miracles, were still learning what it meant to trust Him fully, even when they couldn’t see Him.

However, Jesus knew exactly what He was doing. He allowed the storm to come, but He never abandoned them in it. Mark 6:48 offers an important detail: while the disciples were straining at the oars, struggling against the wind, Jesus saw them from where He was praying on the mountainside. “He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake.” Even though the disciples couldn’t see Jesus, He was watching them the entire time. He was fully aware of their struggle, and He was preparing to meet them in the middle of their storm.

This is a powerful reminder for us. Jesus may allow storms in our lives, but He never loses sight of us. He sees our struggles, our fears, and our moments of doubt. He knows when we feel like we are straining against the winds of life, and just as He walked out to meet His disciples, He comes to us in the midst of our storms. Though the storm may seem overwhelming, Jesus is always near, watching over us and ready to meet us when we need Him most. His presence transforms the storm, not by immediately taking it away, but by reminding us that we are never alone in it.

Then comes one of the most dramatic moments in this story: Jesus, walking toward His disciples on the water. The storm was raging, the winds were howling, and the waves were crashing against the small boat. In the middle of this terrifying scene, the disciples saw what appeared to be a figure coming toward them on the water. But instead of recognizing Jesus, they were filled with fear and cried out, thinking it was a ghost. In that moment, they were reacting to the chaos around them, letting fear cloud their perception, despite having witnessed so many miracles performed by Jesus.

Fear has a way of distorting our vision. Even though the disciples had seen Jesus feed 5,000 people just hours before, the storm caused them to doubt and misunderstand who was standing before them. This speaks to our human tendency to allow the storms of life to shake our faith, even after we’ve experienced God’s provision. When faced with difficulty, fear can easily make us forget what we know to be true about Jesus.

But Jesus, full of compassion, immediately reassured them. “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid” (Matthew 14:27). These words cut through the storm, offering comfort and peace. In that moment, Peter’s heart surged with faith. Despite the fear and chaos around him, Peter responded to Jesus with a bold request: “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water” (Matthew 14:28). Peter didn’t ask for the storm to stop; he asked to join Jesus in the midst of it. His faith at that moment was remarkable—he believed that with Jesus, even walking on water was possible.

And Jesus simply replied, “Come”. With that one word, Jesus invited Peter to step out of the boat and into the stormy sea. Peter obeyed, stepping onto the water, defying the laws of nature as his feet found solid ground on the waves. For a moment, Peter was walking on water, his faith strong as long as his eyes were fixed on Jesus.

But then something changed. Peter’s focus shifted. He noticed the strength of the wind and the size of the waves, and suddenly, fear crept back into his heart. His gaze moved from Jesus to the storm, and in that instant, his faith wavered. The fear that had been momentarily banished returned, and Peter began to sink like a rock. The very thing he had been so confident in—walking toward Jesus on the water—now seemed impossible as fear overtook him.

This part of the story holds a profound lesson for all of us. Like Peter, we often begin with good intentions, eager to follow Jesus and trust Him in the storms of life. But when we shift our focus from Jesus to the difficulties around us, fear takes over. The waves of worry, doubt, and anxiety start crashing in, and we begin to sink under their weight. Even Peter, an experienced fisherman who had spent his life on the water, was overwhelmed by the storm. The storm wasn’t the problem; it was Peter’s focus.

The key is not in the absence of the storm but in keeping our focus on Jesus through it. When Peter’s eyes were fixed on Jesus, he did the impossible—he walked on water. But when he allowed fear to distract him, he began to sink. This is a powerful reminder that our faith must remain centered on Christ, especially in the midst of life’s storms. When we keep our eyes on Jesus, we can face the storm with courage. But when we allow fear to dominate our thoughts, we start to sink into the very chaos we’re trying to escape.

Peter’s journey on the water shows us that faith and fear often coexist in our hearts. We may step out in faith, only to falter when the storm rages harder. But even then, Jesus is there, waiting to lift us up, as we’ll see in the next part of this story. The question for us is: will we choose to focus on the storm, or will we fix our eyes on Jesus, trusting Him to carry us through?

As Peter walked on the stormy waters, his faith began to falter, and the waves that once seemed passable now overwhelmed him. His fear took over, and he began to sink. In that moment of desperation, Peter did the only thing he could—he cried out, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30). He realized that he couldn’t save himself. His own efforts, as a fisherman and someone familiar with the sea, were useless in the face of this storm. It was a moment of surrender, where Peter acknowledged his limitations and placed his hope entirely in Jesus.

What happens next reveals the heart of Jesus. As soon as Peter called out, “Jesus immediately reached out His hand and caught him” (Matthew 14:31). There was no delay, no waiting to see if Peter would struggle a little longer. Jesus acted instantly, with grace and compassion. This moment shows us something profound: when we find ourselves sinking—whether it’s from fear, doubt, or even sin—Jesus is always ready to save us. His hand is never far from us, and the moment we cry out, He reaches down to pull us up.

After grabbing Peter, Jesus spoke words that both challenged and encouraged him: “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31). It’s important to note that Jesus didn’t scold Peter harshly for his lack of faith. Instead, He gently pointed out the source of Peter’s struggle—his doubt. Jesus wasn’t disappointed in Peter for trying; He was pointing out that Peter’s faith, though initially strong, wavered when he allowed fear to overshadow his trust in Jesus.

This is a lesson for all of us. We often step out in faith, responding to Jesus’ call, but as soon as the waves of life rise, we become afraid and begin to sink. In those moments, like Peter, we need to cry out to Jesus. He never leaves us to struggle on our own. Psalm 34:17 reminds us, “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.” Jesus doesn’t hesitate to reach out when we need Him. His response to Peter is a powerful reminder that even in our moments of doubt and weakness, His grace is sufficient, and His love never wavers.

Once Jesus pulled Peter from the water, they both climbed back into the boat. Immediately, the wind and waves that had been raging calmed down. The storm, which had seemed so terrifying, disappeared as quickly as it had begun. In that stillness, something even more significant happened. The disciples, who had watched the entire event unfold, responded with worship. “Truly you are the Son of God,” they said (Matthew 14:33). They had witnessed another miracle, but this one was different from the feeding of the 5,000. It wasn’t just about food or healing; it was about Jesus’ power over creation and His ability to save them, even from their own failures.

This moment of worship is a turning point for the disciples. They had seen Jesus heal the sick and feed the hungry, but now they understood something deeper about Him. Jesus didn’t just perform miracles—He had authority over the natural world, and He had the power to save them, not just physically, but spiritually. Their declaration, “Truly you are the Son of God,” was a recognition of Jesus’ divine nature and His role as their Savior.

For us, the story of Peter’s cry and Jesus’ rescue is a reminder that no matter how deep we sink, Jesus is always near, ready to lift us up. Whether we’re sinking because of doubt, fear, or our own mistakes, Jesus’ response is always the same—He reaches out with grace and pulls us back to safety. The key is to call out to Him. Just as Peter couldn’t save himself, neither can we. But when we place our trust in Jesus, He delivers us from the storms, restores our faith, and brings us into His peace.

This story of Jesus walking on the water and rescuing Peter teaches us several important lessons. First, storms often come after blessings, and Jesus sometimes sends us into them—not to harm us, but to grow our faith. Remember Jesus was closely watching them while they were getting into and struggling in the storm. Then Jesus set out for them into the storm to build up their faith, not just rescuing them. Second, like Peter, we are called to step out in faith, even when the storms of life are raging. But when we take our eyes off Jesus and focus on the storm, we begin to sink. Finally, no matter how badly we fail or how deep we sink, Jesus is always there to rescue us. He doesn’t condemn us for our doubts but reaches out with grace and pulls us back into safety.

When we find ourselves in life’s storms, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and lost, but we must remember that Jesus sees us. He never takes His eyes off us, and as soon as we cry out to Him, He is always there, reaching out His hand. His presence brings peace, just as it calmed the storm for the disciples. In His unfathomable love, Jesus invites us to trust Him, no matter the circumstances, and He promises to walk with us through every storm, bringing us into the stillness and peace that only He can provide.

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your constant presence in our lives, even in the midst of the storms. Help us to trust You when the waves rise and the wind howls. Give us the courage to step out in faith like Peter, and when we fall, remind us that Your hand is always reaching out to lift us up. Thank You for Your grace and for the peace that only You can provide. May we always keep our eyes on You, no matter the storms we face. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.