You Can Do It!

But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.

Matthew 14:26-29 ESV

I once attended a leadership conference, and it greatly uplifted my spirits.

A speaker at the conference from Nigeria (Sam Adeyemi) gave me pause for thought. He spoke on the story of Peter walking on water (Matthew 14:26-31).

As Christians, we tend to focus on the moral of the story, which is to have faith in Jesus. While that is true, the story is also a reminder how Jesus encourages us to do His will.

Jesus wants us to know that we can do anything through Him. We already know of the literal words of Paul in Philippians 4:13 (For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength).

The story of Peter walking on water with Jesus is a prime example of this. Peter could not visualize how he could walk on water. However, Jesus knew that all Peter was lacking was the confidence he could do it.

So Jesus says plain and simply, “Yes, come.” This is Jesus being the encouraging force saying ‘if I can do it, you can do it!’ God has given us everything we need to do His will.

If Paul focused on his circumstances, we would not have the majority of the New Testament. When you find yourself stuck or struggling to achieve something God is asking of you, do not run to the corner of ‘failure’ and ‘disappointment.’

Trust in Christ, not just in word, but through His examples.

My prayer is that we are encouraged by Jesus Christ to know that if He could do it, “We can do it!” Amen!

When is the last time you trusted God beyond what you could see? How can you look less at circumstances and focus more on what God is asking of you?

Guest devotion by Kent Williams. A born-again Christian for 11 years , and father of three children. Kent is determined to ensure others are aware of a God who both loves them and wants them to come home as he did. Learn how you can become a guest writer for us.